The Transition Begins

Oh my goodness, here it is the last weekend in January and this is the FIFTH time this month that I have been here to write!!! This could become a habit--LOL. Well, at least I am hoping for that! We are having a cold and snowy day here in WV. Outside the temperature is a VERY cold 20 degrees with a WCF of 11 degrees--BBRRR! Nice day to just sit inside, drink hot coffee and blog a bit. I am going to try and post some photos of the new craft room/school room as I go through the process

of weeding-out and re-organizing. Somewhere, I have a really good photo of the office when it was first finished for me with some of my now gone fabric books on the shelf and everything looking pristine and organized.....hhmmm, as you can see by the photos from today, this is NOT currently the case. I have a LONG way to go! The beautiful piece of fabric at the window is what I am using to make the new window treatments and I have a gorgeous piece of coordinating fabric about the same color as the walls that will be used for trim and ties. Caleb is excited about getting his maps and classroom posters up on the walls, we have a LARGE selection! Notice the nice wooden easel in the center photo. I have had it there for 6 years, just waiting to be used again!!! We will be using it now on a regular basis as Caleb will

have his paints in the classroom. I will be so glad to have everything finished, but for now I am just continuing to sort everything out. The window treatments should be finished by next weekend and then I can post photos of the finished project for you to see. For now, I am going to go and enjoy some of the nice lunch that my very sweet husband has fixed for us-chicken patties with maccaroni and cheese--mmmm. Hope that everyone is staying warm and cozy wherever you are!!!

HUGS, 

Charlotte                                                 

I'm Changing Direction

Good morning to all! Hope that you are having a wonderful and productive day so far, no matter what your chosen activity of the day might be. I posted last week about my return to sewing and I want to thank everyone for your kind and encouraging comments. I am starting on my first project this week and have decided on making a new window treatment for my soon-to-be-defunct design studio. Yes, after much (MUCH) prayer and evaluation, I have decided to end my focus on in-home consultations. I am packing up my fabric books and my wall-paper sample books to be shipped back to their suppliers. No, this does not mean that I am giving up my WAHM business, it just means that we (royal "we" meaning ME) are taking a different approach to the focus and primary business of Cozy Home Designs. I have been under conviction about this for some time and the New Year seemed like the perfect time to take the plunge! The office will become my craft room and also a more suitable school room for my sweet little Caleb. He is 10 now and requires more room for projects and lessons than just our dining room table. I will hang maps and posters in there for him and he will also be learning to sew later on this year. The business will still have plenty of room for my crafting of the following: custom lamps, small painted signs, table runner and placemat sets and whatever else comes to mind. I will be setting up at a few craft fairs and special events starting in August of this year, and hopefully a few more next year. I will still be selling my beloved Celebrating Home both at the events and online at my personal web page (see the link at the right). I will also keep the personal web store for those nifty Oddity accessories (also has a link on the right). My husband will be making some of his wood crafted items for me to sell at the fairs. I am so excited right now, I could just about POP! Pray with me that all will go well for us. I will post some pictures of my projects on here from time to time as I finish them.

HUGS to all and Stay Cozy!
Charlotte

Sew What???

No, this is not a smart aleck-y remark, it is more like me making a challenge to myself for the New Year. I use to sew a LOT way back when I was in High School and then as a young wife and momma. Then, well, I just QUIT! Dropped it like a hot potato and have never returned--sigh. Yes, for those of you that have followed me here and on my other blog, I have been threatening to pick it up again for a couple of years...my procrastinations skills are endless, or there have been extenuating circumstances beyond my control at times to make myself sound more justified. Nonetheless, this year for sure!!! I have the sewing machine all set up and a couple of prime projects already lined up; now the only question remains---which one gets started first or "Sew What"? I will be posting as soon as I figure it out.

Until next time, Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

Snow, Snow, Snow

I am thinking about doing some re-decorating in my dining room. Right now I have dark green Cape Cod curtains up at the two long windows in there and they make a bold statement, but I am really TIRED of them (they have been up for close to 10 years (you see what I mean). I am thinking of replacing them with a pretty valance and panels made from the Moire Plaid at the left. The colors would complement the hues in the adjoining living room. I am also looking at adding the cute chair pads to our dining room chairs. I am just needing some inspiration around here since we have been under a white blanket of SNOW for close to a week now--it was fun at first, but VERY cold (in the teens and twenties-not good "play-in-the-snow weather) BBBRRRR! My spring decorating catalogs started rolling in on Tuesday, just in time to add some wonderful color to my gray-drabby WV winter day! I have been really pouring over them and am convinced that this is the year for something new. What do you think?

Happy New Year Blessings to You!!!!

May the new year bring
The warmth of home and hearth to you.
The cheer and goodwill of friends to you,
The hope of a childlike heart to you.
The joy of a thousand angels to you,
The love of the Son and God's peace to you.
- The Hearth

We are having a cold snap here. Not as cold as some other parts of the country, it is 22 degrees here. But it is still cold enough to keep me in my Cozy little Home this morning with my cup of coffee near by and my fuzzy little slippers on my feet. I am so glad to be blessed with such a sweet retreat from the weather. I just wanted to take a minute to write a New Year's greeting to each of my sweet bloggin' buddies. I hope that each of you have a blessed, happy and healthy 2010 and that your lives will be filled with all sorts of wonderful surprises in the coming year!!! Hope to spend more time getting to know all of you better this year here in Blog Land. For now I am sending BIG WV Hugs your way!!!!

Stay Cozy,
Charlotte