A Quick Note Just to Catch Up

Good day to all!

It seems like a lifetime since my last post here. I am thankful to all of you for continuing to check in here from time to time to check on me. You are all so dear to be concerned about me. Those of you who are also Facebook friends know by now that I have had my surgery and am continuing to recuperate and am gaining my strength back day by day. I am just so very relieved that it is over and that I will not have to deal with any of that any more!

So far, I have not started back to doing any regular design or decorating work. I still have 3 weeks until my doctor will release me and I intend to take every minute of it to rest. I want my body to heal to its maximum potential. I am doing light housework, taking phone calls, scheduling appointments, working on some writing projects and promoting online sales with my three online stores. This is keeping me busy and interested for now. I do have some new photos of my little garden that I will be posting in a day or two and some thoughts on a couple of new projects that I am getting ready to start. I just wanted to stop in for a minute to let you all know that I am OK and to say thank you for being my friends.

Hugs to all and Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

Busy (and a little tiring) Month

Greetings Dear Bloggin' Buddies,

I have decided that my last post probably should have been entitled "The MONTH Ahead" instead of "The WEEK Ahead". This past 4 weeks has just FLOWN past me and I realized that I needed to stop by and give this Cozy old blog a minute or two of my time. I have been by most of your beautiful blogs and do apologize for not taking a wee minute to comment to let you know that I had been there to visit. I promise to at least try to do better in the future.

My days have been a mixed bag as of late. I remain busy with Design Consultations and Celebrating Home business, but I have been plagued with fatigue from this condition that has me in its grips. I will update you a bit and let you know that I am dealing with uterine fibroid tumors. Not a pleasant condition and less pleasant to talk about in polite society. I am looking at a hysterectomy sometime in the near future, probably by the end of summer. I have a couple of other friends that have had the same surgery for the same reason, and they all assure me that I will feel so much stronger once it is done. Right now I often just feel "wrung-out" all of the time and have to just stop right in the middle of doing things to sit down and re-gain my strength. My blood pressure meds are working and have brought me back to a more acceptable range. At the peak, about 2 months ago, it registered at an entirely unhealty 210/100-YIKES! I have never had anything but normal range my entire adult life, so this has been quite an adjustment for me. But I am trying to keep on going and not complain too much, I do have this beautiful family and business to think about. Just keep me in your thoughts and your prayers that the Lord will give me the strength I need for each day.

I also wanted to share a little note about an award that was sent to me from Melanie over at New Creation Cottage a while back. I am truly so very sorry that this did not get posted right away as she is so dear and this is the first time that anyone has sent me a blog award of any type.

This was just such a special surprise for me, and such a sweet sentiment. I do often feel like my blog friends share a sisterhood, even though most of us have never met anywhere else but here on our computers.


The Rules Are:



1.Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate up to 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!

3. Be sure to link your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Remember to link the person from whom you received your award.

There are a few special ladies that I would like to send the award to as they are always so kind to share a kind word in their comments to me, or with something nice written on my Facebook wall. Some days they just "turn on the sun" as their comments warm my heart and add a smile to my face:

1. Shiloah Baker at Homemaking Cottage Blog

2. Stephanie Withrow Woody at Providence Handmade

3. Tina Lawver at The Artful Life

4. Susanna Holstein at Granny Sue's News and Reviews

5. Violetlady at Violetlady at Home

Thank you to all of you that leave comments and I hope that over time we will build wonderful "kinships" with one another through our blogs. Thank you again to dear Melanie for this very special award to me. I will close for now as I must make the rounds to your blogs to see what is new in your lives.

Blessings to all and Stay Cozy,

Charlotte

The Week Ahead

Spring is in full swing!!! My calendar is showing that to be very true. This week is shaping up to be a very busy one for me with people wanting to spruce things up around their houses for the spring season. I am looking forward to things getting even busier over the next couple of weeks. We are also finishing our school year with Caleb and I am hoping to schedule his portfolio review sometime this week. I have an upcoming doctor's visit that may, or may not result in getting a bit of surgery scheduled (more about that later, depending on what the doctor says-just know that we are not talking about anything life threatening, just something that needs to be taken care of). WHEW-you can see that it might be a while before I am back at blogging. I love to come here and share what is new around the old Cozy Home, but if you don't hear from me for a couple of weeks, just know that I am "up to my eyeballs" and will get on here again as soon as time allows. Hope that you are all having a wonderful spring season!

Hugs and Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring (Tra-La)

I finally stepped outside yesterday to snap a couple of pictures of my dear little daffies. I do now have a large flower garden, only one modest little bed. However, it brings me much joy to see things starting to bloom there once more. I am looking forward to the little azalea bush popping out in blooms sometime later this month. The Hostas should follow behind somewhere in early May, and I am thinking of planting some wildflower perinnials to fill in the rest of the year with color. Here are the pictures that I snapped:

Check Out the Coupon

I don't know about you, but whenever I see that cute little Snuggle bear I just have to smile. This morning I placed a neat little widget on the right offering readers of Cozy Home Cottage a two dollar coupon for Snuggle Creme fabric softener. Snuggle creme is a new product that adds two luxurious aromas to laundry time while softening your clothes. To me, there is just nothing cozier than fresh, clean, soft laundry coming out of the dryer ready to be enjoyed and these two new scents are wonderful and calming to the senses-aahhh! Click on the widget and snag the coupon for yourself. I don't often place offers like these on my little homey blog, but this one was just to much in the spirit of Cozy Home to pass up. Hugs to all and hope you are having a wonderful day.

Charlotte

Erin go Braugh!!!!

I have heard it said that, "On St. Patrick's Day everyone is Irish". This thought makes me smile! I have always loved Ireland and anything associated with being Irish (though I don't partake in the whiskey-save for some cooking or a good cup of Irish Coffee from time to time- or the Guinness-not to my taste). Sadly, however, my family history does not contain one drop of Irish blood. Mom's family is made up of good Virginia stock-Smiths and Austins with origins in England on her mother's side and Muellers and Handels (mis-spelled Hendel at Ellis Island) from Switzerland and Germany on her dad's side. My dad was born in North Carolina to parents from the Hancock family with some Welsh history on his mother's side and the Davis family with English heritage on his dad's side. Going back even further still does not reveal any Irish relatives on our family tree, not even any wayward branches. But, for today anyway, I am as Irish as any lassie born on the Emerald Isle. We will be having Corned Beef and Cabbage today, I will be listening to all of my favorite Celtic music (especially my Danny Doyle cd), the homeschool lessons will be about Ireland. This is just one of my favorite days of the entire year. Hope it is special for you, too.

Until next time, Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

Sweet Fellowship

We had such a nice week-end here in our Cozy Home. On Friday we had friends over for an evening of dinner at 4:30 followed by a wonderful evening of good fellowship. My husband made his famous "Hobbit Stew" (we are Tolkein fans-can you tell). I can't disclose his recipe, he has sworn me to secrecy,but if you love fresh mushrooms, it is quite a treat-YUM. I made a few loaves of homemade bread to go with it. My friend brought fresh baked gingerbread with sour cream topping for dessert. It went wonderfully with the fresh fruit that I had cut up earlier in the day. After we ate, the boys, including Caleb, retired to the family room to watch a movie together. We ladies decided that we would rather have some good ol' girl time talking in the living room. I tell you, I have not talked so much and laughed so hard for quite some time. We covered everything from the Bible to granny's recipe for fried apple pies and more. Caleb felt quite grown up and important watching the movie with his dad and our friend, D. They also had a great time talking and laughing. It is such a blessing to have good friends. We ended the evening around 10:30 with much hugging on the front porch. It was a wonderful evening and the house still seemed to be full of their voices the next morning.
On Saturday things were a bit quiet here, but pleasant as everything was still all cleaned up from our cleaning frenzy of the past few days as we got ready for our company. Robin and I watched movies together most of the day and Caleb joined us occassionally in between his time playing upstairs with his Legos and downstairs playing games on the computer. I really love quiet days!
Sunday morning we got up and went to our church and enjoyed time with our church family. After lunch, I went to the St Alban's library for an afternoon with The Mountain Women, a local storytelling group. They were GREAT! I have just taken an interest in this form of entertainment and love to go and listen as these talented performers weave their tales, especially when they are about my favorite great state, WV. We have such a rich heritage of folk lore, family stories and history here in the Mountain State. I really enjoyed my afternoon at the library. I came home with every intention of venturing out again for evening church, but was too tuckered out and so I stayed home with my hubby and had a pleasant evening with he and my little one, instead. The Lord knows my heart, He gives me rest when I am weary. I am thankful for that. By the end of the evening I was ready for some sleep so that I would be rested to start a fresh week on Monday. Back to the drawing board, back to our homeschooling, back to creating Cozy Homes for others. It is a good life here. Hope you are having a wonderful week.

Hugs from WV,
Charlotte

ANNOUNCING: The Latest News

Good morning Blog Buddies,

By now you all know how I feel about accessories and pretty things for our homes. I have a wide assortment of things handed down, things found, old things, new things; etc, etc and so on. You also know how I enjoy working from my sweet little cottage home in Wild, Wonderful WV. I have a number of companies that I use to order accessories and decorative items for my clients, family and friends. Anything from the most fru-fru frilly florals to items that are no nonsense clean-lined contemporary pieces for those that prefer more fuss-free interiors. I also love the idea of direct sale companies as they provide beautiful products for very reasonable pricing as well as the chance for others to work from their home-sweet-homes, if they so desire. Two of my favorites (and ones that I have sold for quite some time now) are Home Interiors and Gifts as well as Home and Garden Party. The two have now combined into one TERRIFIC company:

Home and Garden Party, along with Home Interiors and Gifts, is now officially known as Celebrating Home and our tag line is “Bringing Families Together,” perfect descriptions of what we do as a company and what we do for you, our Customers and Hostesses. We are so excited that we have been able to bring the Home & Garden Party and Home Interiors families together and provide spectacular decor and significant income-earning opportunities for thousands of women across the United States. With the combination of these two great companies, Celebrating Home is now the largest party-plan home décor company in the nation! Our official NEW web site will open on March 8th with updated product information, specials and more!!! I will be posting more details about the site as the date draws closer. I want you to keep the date in mind so that you can stop by to check things out. Don't forget, there is also a 20% off candle sale in FULL swing for the entire month of March. I just had to share the news. As always, it is my pleasure to serve you as you create your Cozy Home!

Hugs and Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

Another Friend's Giveaway

That talented Tina Lawver over at The Artful Life blog is having her own giveaway in celebration of the opening of her Etsy shoppe. She is giving away her beautifully hand painted pendants to four lucky winners. Stop by and check out her beautiful work and sign up for your chance to win. She will be drawing the winners on Sunday, March 1st and announcing them on her blog on Monday, March 2nd. You will want to take a minute and hurry on over there!

Hugs for now,
Charlotte

Spring, Spring, Spring!!!

Good morning to all and Happy (well almost) Spring!!!!! This is one of my two most favorite times of the year (any guesses as to the other: hint, it is also very colorful, just warmer deeper values, and our WV mountains display their most spectacular hues ---hmmmm). In our little flower bed there are daffodils just starting to sprout, the azalea bush has some new green starting to show and the trees have the first sign of some buds that are just on the verge of bursting forth their first hint of wonderful, pale green newness. I went out on our front porch yesterday and washed down the rockers, they are now white again instead of grey-YAY! I am starting to look at some of my fabric books to find the perfect fabric for new cushions for them as well as the porch swing. My mind is on fire with all kinds of new little decorating and organizing projects for my home as well as for my dear clients. I find myself humming my favorite spring songs over and over as I work around the house. I will share one of them with you, if you don't mind. Here is a little "ditty" from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers that you can hum in your head today. The perfect tune to get you in the mood for some spring cleaning and organizing:

Oh, the barnyard is busy in a regular tizzy,

And the obvious reason is because of the season

Ma Nature's lyrical, with her yearly miracle

Spring, Spring, Spring.

Hope you have a gloriously sunny day!!!

Stay Cozy,

Charlotte

A Giveaway at a Friend's Blog

Kay over at The Rustic Cottage is having a giveaway! Stop by and check it out:

http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com/

What is an Interior Designer

Funny question, huh? But in our world today there does seem to be some debate about the subject. In many states there has been legislation introduced that limits who can or cannot call themselves an Interior Designer. In those states, a 3 day long test (given in three sections) known as the NCIDQ Exam, must be passed and a certificate rewarded to the designer before they can be considered a licenced interior designer. Can you imagine, these folks would never let anyone call them a "decorator" after accomplishing such a detailed and technical test of their design knowledge. So far, we do not have to take this exam in WV, though most 4 year education programs prepare students to take the exam, no matter where they will be practicing. I have several young collegues that have taken and passed the exam, and I have given some thought to preparing for it and taking it at some point in the near future. I just wanted to add my two cents, for what it is worth and to explain my reasons for becoming a designer.

I have had the most interesting week working with some new clients and with one dear friend who is redoing her townhouse. I think the reason that a lot of people choose design as a carreer is that the field has so much potential for creative expression. It seems like such a fun way to make a living and to make the world a more beautiful place to live. I know that was one very important reason for my choosing the field. I thought design would be all about color and fabrics and paint and furniture....ahhh. I never once realized just how technical it would all become. After my first couple of semesters in college that included classes in architectural drawing, lighting, codes compliance, art, photography and art appreciation, I began to realize that my newly adopted carreer field fell somewhere between artist and architect. In fact, most of our clients have no idea about the amount of technical, behind the scenes work that is involved in their projects: everything from choosing colors to the best type of lighting and light bulbs to use in their space.

You see, we start out just sitting down with our prospective clients asking questions, gathering information about their favorite (and least favorite) colors, fabrics, styles and such. During that first visit we usually measure the room or rooms that will be designed and we also talk about things that will be staying, and those that will be going. Designers need to know these things, you know.

The next phase is where the technical stuff comes in; we begin with sketches. Concepts dancing in our heads that get jotted down on paper to allow us to visualize the possible end results. A floor plan is drawn of the space, including all of the doorways and windows. Next, the furnishings that will be in the room are drawn onto the floor plan (this often turns into a series of plans, thank goodness for the copier). Then there is all of the searching for just the right products to go into the new design. In one single room you could choose as many as 100 assorted fixtures, finishes and furnishings. Well, in today's market, that is not an easy task-there is just so much to choose from. This is where it is very important to have that information from the client interview so that you have a clear direction for the design-otherwise it gets VERY confusing.

After about a week or so, it is time to visit with the client to present your ideas and to discuss any concerns that they have with your selections. There is usually some fine tuning of the plan to come up with something that you both agree on. Now for the fun stuff, ordering those items that are most essential for completing the design. There is additional measuring for fabrics, flooring and any cabinetry that will be installed to make sure that we are ordering the right amount for the job. The installers are usually called on for this for accuracy even though the designer has done the preliminary calculations for the work. This helps to eliminate the possibility of ordering too much or too little of the materials needed for the space.

Finally, once all of the new materials have arrived and are installed, the beautiful new living areal are complete. Sometimes this happens in a fairly timely manner, other times there are unforseen delays. Oh the frustration of ordering the perfect fabric or flooring only to find out that it is on backorder or that it is no longer available from the manufacturer. This is especially frustrating if you just checked on it before your presentation and were told by someone that, "there is plenty of it on hand". (SIGH) This usually means finding the closest possible substitute upon approval of the client, and starting the ordering process once more. The final stage, is the placing of accessories-the jewels of the room, the icing on the cake. This is the phase that often earns us that "decorator" title, but it is my favorite phase. In the long run, the end result is well worth all the waiting and selecting and installing that is involved. The reward is wonderful; a satisfied client as they view their new room, rooms, house. A beautifully functional, three dimensional work of art, inspired by their individual vision of what a cozy home is to their family. It is no wonder, then that most designers ask you most graciously, "please, don't call me a decorator".

Until next time, Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

God's Power Wash

Yesterday evening, God took time to power wash our area. We had quite a storm with winds whipping around us at 50-60 MPH, hail and buckets of rain. Our power shut off and then flashed back on again and the winds knocked over one of our sturdy wooden rockers on the front porch. Inside we were warm and dry, albeit a bit rattled by all of this raw, natural power! WOW, as my middle son would say, "Isn't God AWSOME!!!" After about 30 minutes or so, the storm died down to a gentle spring shower and finally came to an end sometime late in the evening. The wonderful part of the whole thing was not evident to me until this morning as I looked out of my living room window (mostly to make sure everything was still in place, and that we were, indeed, still in WV and not in a land of lollipop kids). What greeted me was a sense of CLEAN, a freshness in the air that I had not experienced for quite a while. Lately our air has smelled a bit salty and gritty due to the inevitable dousing the roads received during our last battle with snow and ice. But this morning everything was washed clean again. The Lord had used all of that drama of water and wind to begin His spring cleaning of the earth. How miraculous! I can almost feel the daffodils and crocus moving upward from under their sleepy wintertime beds. Not long now until the sweet song of spring birds will float on the soft fragrant breezes and the apple trees will burst forth with blooms. I feel inspired! I think I will start working on tossing out some of my winter time clutter. Maybe a new wreath for the door...oh the possibilities....

Until next time, Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

Snowy Day and My 15 Minutes

The world outside lies peaceful and quite beautiful with its pristine blanket of white. I love snow days-its kind of like God is giving us permission to take life just a little slower. I do pray His protection for those of you that had to make their way out into the cold and ice. I wanted to take a minute to post about something that happened here back in December. Around the 22nd I was contacted by one of our local newspaper reporters for an interview opportunity. I was THRILLED. I have never been featured in any type of publication, so you can imagine how giddy I was over the whole thing. The reporter was a joy to talk with and his article was a nice commentary on myself, as well as my business. I am posting it below:


Reprinted with permission from the Charleston Newspapers Metro Kanawha West.

Cozy Home Designs Brings Individuality to Decorating

By Ben Calwell
bcalwell@cnpapers.com
304-348-5188

December 27, 2008

It takes a cozy homeowner to know what it takes to turn plain rooms into warm, family-friendly spaces.

Interior Designer Charlotte Spears lives in a cozy, well-appointed home that exudes warmth and comfort. It’s not surprising then that Spears calls her interior design business Cozy Home Designs.

Working out of her Dunbar home, Spears offers a range of interior design services, including color consultations and expertise on fabrics, window treatments, paint, building materials, furniture and furniture arrangement and getting order and organization in the home or office.

Spears, a Nitro native, earned a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the University of Charleston in 2004, and in 2006, she began Cozy Home Designs.

Color and decorating have fascinated Spears since childhood.

“From the time I was a little kid, I’ve loved to decorate and make little flower arrangements and play with colors,” Spears said.

Spears said her mother always claimed that she could distinguish the difference between the colors red-orange and orange-red at 18 months of age.

Her mother “would lay the crayons out in a rainbow and have me go over them. That was our little game,” she said.

Spears chooses to work from home to be closer to her family, but she also allows time to go out and visit clients’ homes and workplaces.

Many clients call upon Spears to help them choose colors. With an overwhelming amount of choices when it comes to color, it helps to have a “third eye” help in the decision making process, she said.

“They’ll have an idea of something, but they can’t quite get the look defined in the way they want to, so I do a lot of color consultations and consult with them about window treatments and design those out.”

Often, clients have a room or rooms that frustrate them when it comes to furniture arrangement.

“Sometimes, folks will have beautiful things, but they just don’t have them arranged as advantageously as they need to be. So I’ll go in and help them rearrange what they already have,” Spears said.

In some situations, it helps if areas of rooms are divided into different “grouping areas for different functions in one room.”

Spears also offers shopping services for clients doing home makeovers.

“I’m very attuned to who has what in the valley, so I can help them pull a look together.”
The first step in getting a Cozy Home Designs consultation is an interview with the homeowners to find out their needs.

Spears takes measurements of the spaces and then goes back to her home office, makes sketches, “pulls fabric” and searches locally for furniture and accessories online to begin the design process.

The process ensures “that I have a clear understanding of what the room looks like and what the needs are and how things need to be arranged so that they are the most beneficial for that family.”

At the next visit to a client’s home, she brings her sketches and fabrics that show her vision of the project. Many times, Spears will provide her clients a direction to go in and help them connect to the resources they need.

Spears said a well decorated home is a well-organized one. She can help clients re-establish order in their homes.

As a teenager, Spears color-coded her clothes closet.

“My mother wouldn’t even hang my clothes up, because she was afraid she would put something in the wrong color order,” she said with a laugh.

Spears said a decorating trend for younger clients these days is the contemporary look — “clean lines and less clutter.”

For older clients, the Kanawha Valley is “still the traditional haven” in home decorating.
Some go “for the cottage look — they like the old retro theme by pulling older things in” to the design.

Country decor, especially the primitive look, also remains popular, she said.
As an interior designer, Spears said color fascinates her the most.
“It’s the colors. Anything to do with helping someone define their colors and make their house more cozy.”

Spears said the word “cozy” sums up her design philosophy.

“A home should be that cozy gathering place where your family feels drawn to.”
For more information about Cozy Home Designs, call 766-7183, or send e-mail tomailto:tocharlottespears5@aol.com


WOW, a BIG thank you to Ben Calwell and the Charleston Newspapers. You all are the BEST!

Hope that you are staying warm and cozy. Until next time I am sending warm hugs to all of my "bloggin' buddies",
Charlotte

Home is Where the Heart (and sweet memories) Are

Have you ever wondered just what power our homes have on the memories of our loved ones? When you think of times spent with family or friends enjoying special times together do you remember only the people, or do the surroundings suddenly come vividly to your mind, also? Chances are that you think of the sights around the memories and maybe even the smells and sounds as well.
I was thinking of my sweet Aunt Mary this morning and as I pondered the particular visit with her I was suddenly aware that my mind was also tracing out the details of her pretty living room around the thought. I could see her sofa, the huge Hendel lamp in her front window, the tiny crystal humming bird that hung on a string reflecting the sunlight into the space...Wow, I was there again, right down to the smell of her good cooking lingering in the air. What a powerful moment!
Sometimes we are all too ready to scrap everything and start all over again in decorating our homes. We want everything bright and shiny and new. I wonder if we are doing our memory a great unjustice by taking away things that could be what friends or family so closely connect with our homes. Maybe that special china cabinet filled with favorite knick-knacks or the set of end tables that once belonged to mom. These things that we take so for granted day to day might just hold some delightful details in the memory of someone dear to you. Cherish the things around you and count them as a blessing in making your home the cozy place that is all yours. Fill the spaces of your home with things that are both beautiful and have special meaning to you. Lovingly replace worn out items with items that are just as beautiful and unique. Keep tradition alive by asking friends or family members if they would have an interest in using items that you are putting aside if it holds any special memories for them. Your home is the one place on earth that people most identify you by. Take time to make it as special as you want to be remembered.

For now, stay cozy,
Charlotte

Color Trends for 2009 and Back to My Path:

Good morning to all. I hope that your day has started off in a pleasant and fulfilling manner and that you are well on your way to accomplishing all of the goals that you have set for yourself today. Most of you that have been reading my cozy little blog over the past few months will certainly know that, as a designer, I am not one to be confined by the popular trends in the market. I am much more attuned to helping my clients find something more enduring and soul satisfying that speaks of their own individual interpretations of home. However, there are a those that are ever curious as to what will be the latest on the scene for the upcoming year and, this year, I will have to admit that things look quite interesting. My personal favorite color combo for 2009 makes me a little hungry when I think about it: Plum and Mustard-almost good enough to eat!!! The color plum is dark and mysterious while the mustard tone is more like the grey poupon variety; not the bright yellow variety that we Americans usually put on our favorite hot dogs. I have posted a link to an article for you to visit. I would love to have your comments about your impression of the latest trends. Here is the link:

Hot Trends in Home Interior Colors and Textiles: 2008-2009
A guide to help with post holiday decorating this winter. New trends in color palettes and textiles will add beauty to any home this.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1268485/hot_trends_in_home_interior_colors.html

Hugs to all and Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

Following My Path

Proverbs 16:9

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

Proverbs 31:

18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

I hope that you are getting ready for a wonderful New Year. I pray that you are steadfast in following whatever path our Lord has set your feet on for your life. I have been giving a lot of thought to the idea of my life's path and have been asking the Lord to help me better understand why I do the things that I do-what meaning does it have in His grand design? Now don't get me wrong, my Faith is strong! I have complete Trust that my Lord leads my life; though sometimes I tend to want to fight Him for the reigns a bit ;-} I just have been dealing with coming to terms about: why He lead me to a carreer that has so much to do with things that are material and why I am so driven to do this work from my home? So I turned to my Bible and began to read, I turned to my knees and began to pray.

The 31st Chapter of Proverbs has always held such an attraction for me. I have always admired all that the woman described in those verses accomplished in her lifetime. I love the fact that, despite her clearly being a business woman of the day, her family never suffers because of her efforts. To the contrary, her husband praises her and her children call her blessed. As I read these verses again, a new meaning came to me. I realize that God has given me an appreciation of things beautiful so that I can help other women create a beautiful gathering place for their families. I also came to realize that the Lord has always called me to work from my home using the skills that He has blessed me with and that this is why I was always so restless and unfulfilled anytime that I went to work outside my home and away from my family. I am not saying that this is true for all women, I Praise God every day for those that work away from home who so lovingly serve in hospitals, restaurants, offices, schools and all other realms of work so that they may provide for their families and bless others. But this is the path that the Lord has set before me and I am so very glad that it is a business that I can do from my home. I am able to be there for our aging parents, able to homeschool my precious last little one (ADHD and not best served by the public school system-he was literally wasting away) and I am able to be a better helpmeet to my own dear husband with health problems of his own.

I feel that for the very first time in my life that I am completely at peace with this path. I know that I am not yet earning exactly what I would like to, but that with my continued Faith in God's direction, persistance in letting Him control the reigns and the forsight to set worthy goals with His leading that All Things will be accomplished according to His will. I pray that each of you will have a Blessed New Year and that each of you is following the path that God has for your life. He will never lead you wrong.

Hugs from WV,

Charlotte

The Candle Lady

My life as a Decorator/Designer has been an exciting one. Though I have often not recognized my path or have played down my experiences, I have been VERY Blessed by God with a real appreciation of beauty and order and these are the qualities that direct me in my career. I love to help people with their homes and with finding just the right beautiful look that will delight their friends and their families and make their home a place that everyone wants to gather into for fun and fellowship; a place where wonderful memories are made!
My all time favorite element used to add to ambience of any room are candles!!! I love the way that they glow and add instant warmth to a room and the distinct way that they can make any ordinary day just seem like a special occasion. My personal favorite scent is Hot Apple Pie since it makes my home smell so much like my mom's when she would bake her famous Apple Crisp in the fall and winter months. I bake my own version from time to time, but, since I don't need that many calories added to my diet, the scent of the candle is a nice, no-calorie way to enjoy the sweet tingle of warm-fuzzy memories that this smell brings to my mind.
This week-end I happened on an interesting opportunity: Diamond Creek Candles. I am happy to announce that I am now a consultant for them and am VERY Excited about this venture!!! Their candles are BEAUTIFUL and unique as they are what I like to call Cathedral Chunk style. This means that the candles have lovely colored chunks of wax suspended in a white base. The effect when they are burned is reminiscent of light coming from Cathedral windows---just GORGEOUS! They are soy based, clean burning and have the most WONDERFUL range of fragrances available for you to choose from. You can order them directly online from my page at:
http://www.diamondcreekcandles.com/reps/char503.php
I would love for you to stop by and visit the page and see for yourself just how lovely these adders of instant atmosphere really are. Let me know what you think and don't forget to order a few for those guests that stop by your home for the Christmas visits this year. I will leave you with the words to one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs; one that is quite appropriate for this time in our history and for the subject at hand:

ONE LITTLE CANDLE
(George Mysels / J. Maloy Roach)

It's better to light just one little candle
Than to stumble in the dark
Better far that you light just one little candle
All you need's a tiny spark
If we'd all say a prayer that the world would be free
The wonderful dawn on the new day we'll see
And if everyone lit just one little candle
What a bright world this would be

Let's all light one little candle
Why stumble on in the dark
When the day is dark and dreary
And your way is hard to find
Don't let your heart be weary
Just keep this thought in mind

It is better to light just one little candle
Than to stumble in the dark
Better far to light just one little candle
All you need's a tiny spark
If we'd all say a prayer that the world would be free
The wonderful dawn of the new day we'll see
And if everyone lit just one little candle
What a bright world this would be

Love to all, Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

As Time Goes By....

Yes, I realize it has been MONTHS since I last posted anything. I am sorry for that. We have been caught up in the usual daily ups and downs of family life as well as conducting a little unforseen business ventures.

My dear MIL has been experiencing some balance issues and has had a few falls in the last few months. No bones were broken, but she did end up with a BAD bruise, sprained knee and a shoulder injury. We have been going to her house every other Friday for a while to make sure she is OK and to take dinner, help her with house work and have some family time together. My SIL checks on her during the week and my husband is on the phone with her daily, also. It has been hard on her as she is very independent and loves to go to her church every time the doors are opened, and is not used to slowing down to just be still. She is beginning to feel much stronger now and is looking into some changes for around her home to make daily chores a bit easier. One of those changes is installing a stacked washer/dryer pair upstairs in the spare bedroom closet so that she does not have to go down to the basement to do laundry. This will be such a blessing to her, I know.

Our little one is now involved in a homeschool co-op on the Fridays that we are not at my MIL's. As a homeschool family that also means that we are involved. No drop-off kids here. The parents are part of the group and help with the nursery duties, teaching the classes, clean-up and general
over-seeing of order and helping students with the projects they are working on for the day. The kids have Geography/cooking, Science, Art, lunch time, Music and play time together. They all enjoy seeing each other and learning together. It has been a wonderful blessing to us. I am glad that I now have a group of supportive homeschool moms to talk to as well. I was starting to feel very lonely. These ladies are great and have so many good ideas to share. We are already planning for the Spring classes after the Holidays.

Now for the decorating-business portion of my life. I have been blessed with a number of wonderful opportunities in the past couple of months. I had a friend's daughter recommend me to do a candle fundraiser for her school's FBLA Club. That was fun and the kids did a really wonderful job of selling the candles. They earned a good deal of money for their organization, too. I really enjoy doing fundraisers, it is a good feeling to know that the money goes for good causes. I have also had a home organizing job with a client that called me out of the blue. She is a sweet lady and we have been working very hard to get her home organized so that it is the haven she wants for her family. Life is so much easier and more pleasant when things are well organized. This past week-end, I was invited by a marketing group out of Chicago to demonstrate "How to Set a Holiday Table" at our local Kmart. This was so much FUN!!! All of the items used on the tables were Kmart merchandise and the ideas just kept coming. If you have not been to your local Kmart store lately, you are in for a pleasant surprise. They really have a LOT of cute stuff and the prices are GREAT! The marketing group paid me for my time and I had a really fun time working with them. This was a blessing to me. I have also been helping my wonderful friend set up her new window treatment and fabric shop in a nearby town. We always have such fun working together, and her mastery at creating window treatments and upholstery are AWESOME. I can't wait for her shop to open officially, she has been in business for the last 31 years but just recently decided to start offering budget fabrics from the bolt and to showcase her talents in her own shop. This is going to be exciting and I will keep you posted on how things are progressing for her.

I hope to commit myself to a new blogging schedule that I have come up with so that it will not be so long between posts next time. I have 3 blogs and it has been just as long between my last visit on each of them. For now I will say, "good-bye and have a Blessed Thanksgiving with your family and friends."

Hugs from WV,
Charlotte

I must be just a bit narcissistic because I love taking those little quizzes online that reveal what type of personallity you have. I am amazed that, no matter what mood I am in when I take them, I always turn out to be some type of "dreamer" or "idealist". Well, mom did get a lot of notes from my teachers about my "daydreaming" in class. C'est la vie, for some of us there is just no hope, I guess they will have to bury me someday with my rose colored glasses firmly on my face. Here are the results from my latest exploration into what makes me "tick":


You Are a Dreaming Soul
Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world so much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time. You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all...But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult. You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life.

If you would like to take the quiz for yourself, the link is:

http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofsoulareyouquiz/

Hope you are having a Cozy day,
Charlotte