Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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More of the Tour

March 11, 2024 at 8:50 am by Claudia

As the torrential rains left us, high winds moved in. They went on all night long and they’ll last through the day. You know how much I hate them. They make me edgy and they mess with my sinuses. I’ve kept the blinds closed in the den because the cold  wind cuts right through this room.

Don received an email purporting to be from me. It wasn’t, it came from some email address in another state. The usual spammy content saying I forgot to send him some pictures and then a very suspicious looking link. I’ve been getting this same sort of thing from a former high school classmate, but they don’t come from his address. I block them, as did Don. ANYWAY, if you get something from me with a link, block it, delete it, don’t open it. I haven’t been hacked. I suspect it has to do with my friend’s messages. Nevertheless, I changed my passwords.

It’s always something, isn’t it?

Hello, little egg cups!

On the left, the one that started the collection. It was an Easter present from my godparents. Made for Fanny Farmer, it likely came filled with chocolate eggs or jelly beans. Somehow, this one escaped my mom’s tendency to get rid of things, I saw it when I was back home during grad school and took it back to Philadelphia with me. Whew! Years later, I saw an article in Martha Stewart Living about egg cups – this exact cup was on the cover of the magazine.

“You can collect egg cups?” And so I went down the rabbit hole into the world of figural egg cups.

Next, another bunny holding up a cup. This one, however, immediately reminded me of Scoutie – the pink ears, the devilish look in the eyes, always ready for an adventure. Oh, how I miss her. Anyway, this is the Scoutie cup.

After that, a bunny with an egg cup cottage. He’s obviously in a playful mood, as he’s peeking out from his hiding place. Love this one.

And on the right, a cute little pig holding up a cup. You can’t quite see it in this shot, but he has a curly tail.

On the left, another Fanny Farmer egg cup. You can see “Fanny Farmer USA” at the base of the cup. This was one of the first cups I bought and it’s in incredible shape. When I see them for sale online, the paint is often chipped. None of that on this cup. It’s very heavy. At one point I read that McCoy Pottery made this particular cup for Fanny Farmer.

Next, two dogs holding up a cup. They’re adorable. And I love the design along the top of the cup – reminiscent of many Art Deco designs.

Then, a chick or a duck (never quite sure) with a baby. The cup itself has a soft luster finish. It is beautifully and subtly painted and it’s one of my favorites.

And, on the right, one of Carlton’s (in England) line of  ‘Walking Ware’ egg cups. I have a couple of them. Talk about whimsy! The idea of adding feet to the cup is inspired. They come in various colors and sock patterns.

All vintage.

Okay! We have to drop Don’s car off for an oil change and go grocery shopping, all of which I wish wasn’t happening on this windy day.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: egg cups 22 Comments

More Cups and A Couple of Cozies

March 9, 2024 at 9:19 am by Claudia

We continue our little tour. There is no rhyme or reason on what I choose to post. Rather, I open the doors to the egg cup cubby and pull out whatever calls to me.

It’s a gray day today, so this is the best I can do.

On the left, a bunny holding up an egg cup. Orange cup, bright-eyed bunny rabbit.

Next, a Scottie holding up a cup. This is one of my favorites, I’ve not seen it available in a long, long time. In fact, other than the time I found this one, I’m not sure I’ve seen it on sale at all. Maybe once? I love the yellow color, the markings on the Scottie, and the blue collar.

Next, two rabbits holding up an egg cup, one facing left, one facing right. It looks to be a rather heavy and cumbersome job for the rabbits. I hope they don’t have to hold that pose too long! This was one of my earliest discoveries – I’m always attracted to the sight of rabbits dressed in clothing, in this case, pants and a jacket.

Which brings me to the cup on the right. Another rabbit dressed in shorts with suspenders and a blue shirt. He’s standing next to his little egg cup cottage with a window and a tiny little door. This one has a lustre glaze and it’s awfully pretty. I saw another one of these cups on eBay the other day.

I took a look at the offerings on eBay recently – I do this every year at this time – and I’m once again reminded of how fortunate I was to start collecting back in early 2002. There were all sorts of figural egg cups available. Now? Some, but not many. There are a lot of modern egg cups trying to look cute, but very little with the charm of these vintage cups. Every once in a while, one pops up, like the egg up above on the right. But, it’s rare. Newer cups are not as detailed and not nearly as charming.

Then there are these two. Several years ago, when Don was away on some acting job, I bought a pattern for these egg cup cozies on Etsy and proceeded to reacquaint myself with my very basic knitting skills. I decided that the bunny on the right was the mom and the one on the left was her son. They are perched on two single egg cups. The gold cup is lustreware. The one on the right is from Prague, but the bunny is hiding the design.

It’s tempting to knit some more, but heavens, I’m already trying to declutter! They stay on the bookshelf year round because they make me smile.

Time to get out the fabric eggs, I believe!

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

 

 

Filed Under: egg cups 20 Comments

Puzzle, Egg Cups, and Rain

March 8, 2024 at 8:35 am by Claudia

The finished puzzle. I particularly loved this one. And so did Don as he has always loved this form of artistry. He purchased a couple of framed woodblock prints not long after we met. We still have them. This was a Cavallini puzzle. They are always quite beautiful and come in a cylinder, rather than a box. All of the pieces are contained in a cloth bag. I’ve done a few in the past. I just glanced at the other Cavallini puzzles available on Amazon and I think I’m going to have to do another one. By the way, these woodblocks are the artistry of Kawase Hasui.

Sunny today – rare, lately! We’ve had – what else is new? – a LOT of rain. And we’re due for more Saturday and Sunday. It did turn sunny in the afternoon yesterday and it’s lovely right now. But it’s hard for me to imagine the ground drying out. Ever.

More egg cups:

A series of Japanese egg cups: on the left, a dog, then a little boy dressed as a cowboy, another little boy with a scarf around his neck and a blue cap, and on the right, a little boy and his dog. I have them displayed in adjoining cubbies. They should be able to chat with each other, don’t you think? All of them are vintage.

I realize that when I say vintage I am often using 2000 as my guide to count backwards. Isn’t that strange? We’re more than twenty years beyond  2000! Just like I think the nineties were about 15 years ago. Ummm….no.

Wooden people egg cups in this photo.

On the left, an egg cup from Italy, made by Sevi. They made a series of these egg cups and they all came with a knit cap to keep the egg warm. They’re still accessible on eBay, but sometimes the knit cap is missing. I believe this one was a gift from a reader, but darned if I can remember who. (Too many names of students, actors, directors, childhood friends, fellow grad school students and readers to remember!) I love this little girl.

On the right, another wooden egg cup made in Japan. A sailor. I have a feeling he had some sort of hat, as well, but it was long gone when Don came upon it in a local antique shop. Ahem… Scout  came upon it, because it was a gift from her.

Remember our talk about visits from beyond? Last Friday, I had two from my mom: one while I was sitting in my chair – the distinct smell of Oil of Olay, and another later in the day when I was driving home from my errands.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

 

Filed Under: egg cups, jigsaw puzzles, mom 22 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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