Mockingbird Hill Cottage

We had a little adventure yesterday, always welcome after a year and a half+ of staying home. It was a gorgeous day with a blue sky and big fluffy clouds. We headed north on the thruway, then crossed the Hudson River on the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, and arrived in Hudson. We did a lot of walking and as the day went on, it got really hot; 90 degrees and humid. So we were pretty tired at the end of the day. Nevertheless, it was a fun day!

Some photos for you. This will be a picture-heavy post.

The beautiful old Hudson Opera House. (Wear a Mask signs in the windows.)

Beautifully restored buildings everywhere on Warren Street, which is the main drag.

A gate between buildings. Isn’t is gorgeous?

Out of necessity and, in the end, quite naturally, we had our first meal out since the pandemic started. Healthy food, prepared with masks and gloves on, and wonderfully tasty. We sat outside. We couldn’t have found a better place for our first, somewhat cautious, meal.

This vintage dollhouse was displayed in a window, but the shop wasn’t open. They were selling it for a donation of $600, which would be earmarked for Hudson non-profits.

Outside an art gallery.

Inside my favorite shop which is full of mostly French antiques: Red Chair on Warren.

It’s full of beautiful antiques; furniture, garden pieces, jewelry, and lots of china, porcelain, and old silver. The owner has impeccable taste. I used to read about her shop years ago when she was located in New Hampshire. She’s been here at this location for about 10 years, if I remember correctly. Last time I was there, I dashed in while Don was waiting in line at the DMV and purchased a couple of vintage café au lait bowls. I bought two little items that I’ll share with you tomorrow.

This! I don’t know where it came from, but isn’t it stunning? Can you imagine this as a kitchen island, or simply as a display piece in a home? Goodness!

After a couple of hours, we were really hot and tired – most of the antique shops weren’t air conditioned and yours truly was over it. We made a stop on the way out of town at the Antique Warehouse. I follow them on IG and was ready to find a new dresser for Don and a couple of other things that we needed.

Nope. It was huge, and full of stuff. Some of the pieces were beautiful, in fact, many of them were beautiful. A lot of them were just ‘stuff.’ But it wasn’t organized well, and different areas were different shops, but not clearly defined as such. It made me a little crazy. And it was way overpriced. The shops in downtown Hudson tend to be overpriced as well, and they trend toward lots of mid-century modern. But since this place was out of downtown proper, I expected more equitable pricing. Nope. And it wasn’t air-conditioned, so by that time I admittedly had little patience.

However, I did find one stunner:

This antique dollhouse. Oh my heavens, it is beautifully made.

The dollhouse was in a very dark corner of the warehouse, so picture taking was challenging. You can see the very tall ceilings, the stairs and hallway. Only four rooms but big ones.

The front looks like it slides into two grooves on the edges of the dollhouse interior. Check out that charming detail around the window!

The details are so charming!

Oh my. Actually, I think the price is pretty fair on this piece considering it’s quite old, in good condition, solid, handmade, and one-of-a-kind. If I had lots of space and more money than I do have, I would have bought it. But I never seriously considered it.

However, it’s still in my head. I don’t know who made this, but it sure was a love-filled gift for a very special someone.

All in all, a lovely day.

I reached out to the woman selling the Beacon Hill this morning, but I haven’t heard back from her yet. Hopefully, we can make a deal – Don seems to be willing to make this trip, God bless him. I don’t deserve him. Truly. I’ll keep you updated.

(The porch on that Beacon Hill is on crookedly and there may be more that needs to be redone. But that’s what I did with my first dollhouse, Hummingbird Cottage, so I can do it again.)

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.