Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Rediscovered While Cleaning

January 12, 2018 at 10:44 am by Claudia

I think I need a few more green McCoy vases for the top of that cupboard, don’t you?

The cupboard remains one of my favorite deals; it’s big and substantial and has shelves inside. I scored it for $100 at a local auction and I’ve never regretted it. We needed storage and the room needed something tall. This guy fulfilled the bill.

We watched Lady Bird  last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a coming-of-age story about a teenager in her senior year of Catholic high school in Sacramento and it’s absolutely charming. I’m a big Laurie Metcalf fan and she is excellent, as usual. Saorise Ronan is luminous as Lady Bird. Excellent cast, excellent screenplay and direction (both by Greta Gerwig.) Thumbs up.

I just threw this in here as I posted it on Instagram yesterday. And I’m thinking of starting to do some needlepoint again, spurred by that framed project I made for my Mom years ago. I inherited it after my mom and dad passed away. I used to do a lot of needlepoint in the seventies and eighties, with each new niece and nephew getting their own needlepoint Christmas stocking. I’m thinking about doing some pillows for the sofas in the living room and den.

I cleaned out the closet under the stairs yesterday; a daunting project because it involves crawling about on my hands and knees. I threw a lot out and it looks much better. It holds paint cans and the pillows used on the Adirondack chairs and extra vacuum cleaner attachments and the Christmas trees. I wanted to make it easier to access all of that without having everything fall out of the closet when I open the door.

While there, I rediscovered a little shelf that I was using to hold paint cans and towels. The towels are a story in themselves. I stashed them in there and often used a stack of them when we gave the dogs a bath. We don’t need them anymore and they take up valuable space, so I washed them all and I’m going to see if I can donate them to an animal shelter or hospital. I used to work for a veterinarian and we always needed towels.

So, back to the shelf. We used it in our bathroom when we were living in San Diego. It’s not my best paint job, but it still sort of works. Don suggested putting it behind the couch because I had been talking about wanting more space for plants and pottery. (Big surprise, right?) It doesn’t take up much space so it doesn’t overwhelm the sideboard or access to the front door.

There it is. I’ve always loved the scallop-like edges to the shelves. And it’s appropriately chippy. (That’s the back of Don’s head.)

See? He’s wearing headphones so he didn’t even know I was there.

I rather like that splash of color. It will look even better when I’ve added some things to those shelves, but I’m in no hurry.

Yes, the tree is still up. Every day I ask Don if he’s ready for it to be taken down and every day he says no. We have reached a deal. I am taking it down on Sunday. I took down the tree in the den and the little green tree upstairs in the office yesterday. This one is still pending.

On reflection, Don said that he thought he was reluctant to say goodbye to the tree because it symbolized his vacation and he’s not quite ready to go back to work. I understand.

So it will be up through the weekend. Who knows? I may wait until Monday!

Happy Friday.

 

Filed Under: decorating, movies, vintage 32 Comments

Is it Thursday Already?

January 11, 2018 at 10:30 am by Claudia

Is it Thursday already? The weeks seem to fly by.

Some random photos of the house, taken yesterday afternoon:

My rather cluttered office with the box containing a new modem still unopened after 3 months.

Vintage plant stand (found at my neighbor’s barn sale) in the office. Those two plants – the pothos and the spider plant – were once tiny little grocery store plants that I bought to put in my apartment in Hartford. They have grown so much since then and they’re hassle-free. This little corner houses extra pots and potting soil, waterers and saucers.

Don’s mini studio. That fireplace remains one of my favorite creations – I’m still chuffed when I look at it.

And a look at the piano, a piece that is so filled with family memories that it will always be priceless.

Though it desperately needs a tuning. I can’t even stand to play it, it’s so out of tune.

Coming soon.

Don had a jam session with some local musicians last night and he got to play his dream electric guitar. It’s on his “I’m saving up for it” list. I want him to get it because it’s in my favorite colors, turquoise and white. There’s a picture of it on his Instagram account, which you can find here. His IG account name is: @donsroadtrip.

Tonight? Either Mudbound  or Lady Bird.

Happy Thursday.

Filed Under: Don, houseplants, miniatures, office, piano 24 Comments

When a Movie Reaches Into Your Heart and You’re Not the Same

January 10, 2018 at 9:34 am by Claudia

Good morning.

It’s going to be a bit warmer today and the sun is shining. Win-win.

I’ve been puttering around the house, reading the Fusion GPS transcripts released by Dianne Feinstein yesterday (hero!), waiting to take down the trees (as of this morning Don said I could take them down tomorrow – not today.) His seat of choice is the old loveseat in the living room, where he gets a great view of the tree, so I don’t blame him.

January is always a strange month. We’ve just come off the holidays and now the reality of winter and snow and gray skies and icy roads hits us. Decorations are put away. And we’re faced with fact that winter will last well into March, sometimes even to April. Sigh.

Having Don around takes the edge off of January. We’ve been enjoying our time together before he heads to the city. And that’s just around the corner – he starts rehearsals on January 22nd. When you’re apart for a few months at a time off and on for the whole year, you don’t take each other for granted, that’s for sure!

Speaking of being together, we’ve been so grateful for our chance to watch several new movies via the SAG Awards screeners. So far, we’ve seen Get Out  (thumbs up), Call Me By Your Name  (thumbs down) , The Big Sick  (thumbs up), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri  (thumbs down) and this one:

I will quickly run out of superlatives in describing this film. It’s wondrous, it’s stunning, it’s beautiful, it’s heartbreaking, it’s life-affirming in the best possible way, it’s healing. I’ve never seen anything like it and it has touched me deeply. Same for Don. We couldn’t stop talking about it. Everything about it – the story, the production design, the direction, the acting – is superb.

Sally Hawkins is incredible in a non-speaking role that touches your heart. As for the wonderful Richard Jenkins; this may be his finest role to date. He is amazing. Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer and Michael Stuhlbarg are brilliant. Such brave work from everyone.

The world that Guillermo Del Toro has created is rooted in the real while embracing the fantastical. I loved the look of the film, the world that has been created, the colors, the heightened reality. It’s pitch perfect. And the screenplay is beautifully written.

So far, it’s my favorite film in years. We’re going to watch it again. And, I suspect, again.

See it, my friends, see it.

Today I’m going to clean out the cubbyhole under the stairs so I can put some of the Christmas decorations there and not feel like I’m taking my life in my hands every time I open the door.

Happy Wednesday.

 

 

Filed Under: Don, movies 34 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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