Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

  • About MHC
    • Disclosure
  • Dollhouses/Minis
    • Hummingbird Cottage
    • The Studio (Formerly TSP)
    • Dove Cottage
    • The Lake House
    • The Folk Art Dollhouse
    • The Modern Dollhouse
    • The Beacon Hill Dollhouse
    • Dollhouse Source List, Information and Tutorials
  • On the Road
  • Collecting
    • Roseville Pottery
    • McCoy Pottery
    • Egg Cups
    • Bakelite
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy

Rain, Little Projects, and Rain

May 25, 2026 at 8:59 am by Claudia

I’ll keep this brief, as it’s a holiday today. For us, it’s day number 3 of rain. No storms, just steady rain. It’s good for us, I know, but it’s also rather depressing.

So, we’ve been hanging around here, working on little projects. In other words, being creative and trying to keep our sanity.

I can hear a mourning dove as I write this. You know that’s my favorite bird call; that plaintive call in a minor key.

Another photo from the dollhouse:

There it is, in an empty room, waiting to be played.

My wallpaper issues continued over the weekend as the Etsy shop owner hadn’t responded with an update. But I did hear from her this morning. The post office said they had picked up the order but it has not updated since last Monday, when the tracking indicated they were awaiting the item. So she’s issuing a refund (which she didn’t have to do) and sending the order 2 day priority mail tomorrow.

She really has the best inventory of designs and with this positive resolution, I most likely will order from her again.

This was my project yesterday – the arms on my chair in the den (aka the blogging chair) were getting very worn. The fabric was tearing in places – it’s just a rather inexpensive chair from the former Pier 1, but I like it and I don’t want the expense of a replacement chair. I was using some doilies but they weren’t doing the trick. Looking through my stash of things from my grandma, I found a tea towel that she had embroidered. Might as well use it, right?

Only one cover has the embroidery, but the towel itself is a peachy color and it goes well with the colors in the chair. A seamstress, I am not. But I hauled out the Featherweight and tried to adjust the tension, which had been a problem the last time I used it. Eventually, I had to rewind the bobbin and, interestingly, that seems to have taken care of the tension problem.

In my crazily crammed creative space, I knew exactly where the Featherweight was, but had no idea where the foot pedal was. So I had to open up the closet and remove item after item until I finally found it tucked away on a shelf. I’d say there ‘has to be a better way’ but given the size of our cottage – there isn’t.

Anyway, I’m kind of proud of these covers. I remember my mom and grandmother ordering special armrest covers to go along with their chairs. They knew what they were doing.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

 

Filed Under: Beacon Hill Dollhouse 14 Comments

On a Rainy Weekend

May 23, 2026 at 9:01 am by Claudia

It’s a rainy Saturday morning and it will be a rainy weekend. So, we have coolish in the 50s temperatures. I’m going to hunker down inside and do…something. I have no idea what that will be as I’m still waiting on the wallpaper and the seller has not updated me. I’m trying to stay positive but I did read several reviews about “why did it take so long to get to me??” and “doesn’t return messages.” We’re at the end of a 5 week stretch between Social Security payments, so I don’t have the extra funds to order something else.

I want to continue my work on the dollhouse, but more importantly, I need  to work on the dollhouse. It’s my escape from the continual assault on our democracy. Don and I talked about it last night. We have to be very protective of our emotional and mental health because we are not young anymore. We are in our mid-seventies and time is precious and life is precious and I CANNOT GIVE HIM THE POWER TO RUIN MY MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. Nor will I give him the power to ruin my husband’s mental and physical health.

So I’ll sit down in the office and take shadowy pictures of the dollhouse, like these:

I do love the play of light and shadow inside the house.

This is the desk I made for Dove Cottage but eventually removed because it made the bedroom too crowded. It will finally have a home in the downstairs hall.

I hung the painting. I love it.

The clematis is in bloom. Happy, happy.

Don has a gig this afternoon at a sane time. He sings from 1-4 and he gets paid for it. So much of this kind of work is just tips. So actually getting paid is a refreshing change. And he gets home in time for dinner. Win-win.

I’ll be vacuuming, patching a couple of throw pillows that are not looking too good at the moment, and who knows what else. Keeping busy.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Filed Under: Beacon Hill Dollhouse 14 Comments

The Mundane

May 22, 2026 at 8:19 am by Claudia

I mowed the back forty and the corral yesterday. It was at least 20 degrees cooler than it had been the day before, so it was a pleasant experience (except for allergies.) It looks much better out there!

I’m on hold with any further work on the dollhouse as I wait for the wallpaper I ordered, which is hung up in the mail. I contacted the seller because tracking shows that a label has been created as on lasts Monday, but it hasn’t moved since then. She responded and said she was sure it had shipped and that she would check into it. This was after the posts office had closed for the day, so we’ll see what I find out today. It’s frustrating. I don’t want to lose my mojo!

In the meantime, from my time outside mowing:

Wild phlox on the edge of the secret garden. I’ve never seen as much of it on the property as we have this year.

I love it.

Protecting The Dude, who is just beyond the phlox.

All of the black raspberries are in bloom.

I need to haul out the weed whacker soon, as well as yank lots of poison ivy. There are plenty of chores to keep me busy as I wait on the wallpaper shipment.

I have to cut this short as I have to help Don with a self-tape audition. Don’t get excited…it’s the kind of role that any actor of his age can do. He’s doesn’t even want to do it, but I talked him into it.

Okay, my friends.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: life 6 Comments

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • …
  • 1840
  • Next Page »
  • Email
  • Instagram

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.

Thanks for stopping by.

Searching?

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

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

All Content © 2008 - 2026 Mockingbird Hill Cottage · Log in