What's Cookin' Monday

     Sometimes my life can seem so busy with my daily responsibilites; home schooling, home business, daily chores and such. I sometimes think that I am just going to collaps from it all. Those are the times that I step back and remind myself of just how much has changed over the last couple of years. It is hard to believe that I used to have to go to a job outside our home where I took care of up to 100 people per week, ordered furnishings for them and kept track of deliveries, went out on outside design calls, raced with other commuters to work, had only 1/2 hour for lunch and then raced again with even grumpier commuters back home from work. When I got home, I helped my dear hubby with our dinner, helped our very disgruntled little one with his homework, took care of evening chores and bathtime routines, prepared for the next day to do it all over again. At the same time I was also active in our church choir and helped with my parents as much as posible and managed to fit in some time for friends–WHEW! I realize as I reflect on these hectic days just how wonderfully simple my days have become. I LOVE working from home!!!!
     I have been thinking about returning to my weekly posts to Peggy’s The Simple Woman’s Daybook for some time now, but just have not taken the leap. I guess my greatest fear is that I will not keep up with the commitment to post every Tuesday. I have really been praying about it and have decided that I will do my best to stay dedicated and to join in on the fun. I truly miss taking time to examine my week and share the simple things that I am doing and that I am most thankful for in my life. I will start posting these again tomorrow.
     We have had a wonderful day together. Caleb and I are reading through the Book of Virtues together and love some of the poems that are included there. Caleb helped his dad make a simple vegetable soup for our lunch and then one of his little neighborhood friends stopped by after his school day to play for a while. I am getting ready to go in and make some homemade pizza for our dinner this evening. Nothing fancy, just packaged pizza crust mix and sauce from our local grocery store. We top our pizza with Mozerella cheese, pepperoni and mushrooms and whatever else we might have on hand that sounds yummy I love to cook them on my Baking Stones! They always turn out just right with tender crusts not burned on the bottom-MMMmmm! I am a self-confessed "Pizza-holic" ;-D We have pizza at our house at least 2-3 times a month!

     I am so glad that you stopped by today. I loved visiting many of the blogs that I follow this past week-end and am trying REAL hard to be better about posting a comment to let you know that I stopped by. Your blogs add so much joy to my days!!! I never tire of seeing what is new in your lives.

Until later, HUGS and Stay Cozy,
Charlotte
   

Friday's Decorator Storyboard

     When I was in college studying design, one of my favorite parts of any project was creating the final "storyboards" for our presentations. I still LOVE to do storyboards, but I don't often get the opportunity in the real world of decorating. Most of the time I am working with my clients strait from the fabric books and paint swatches as we match them to the decorative accessories that they have chosen for their homes or offices. As i have stated in previous posts, I have gone back to my good old retail roots and am working with Celebrating Home and Oddity in order to help clients, friends and family develop their rooms. This is a much more comfortable fit for me as a business model than the "charge-by-the-hour" consultation model that many designers use for their businesses. Both are wonderful business models, it is entirely up to the decorator/designer to choose the one that works best for them. My perfect fit is direct sales and private appointments so that I can help my clients one-on-one.
     Anyway, back to the promised STORYBOARD~I can't wait to show you what I have put together this week. (Drum roll.......) TA~DA!!!!

     The beautiful framed print is called First Impressions and is a wonderful large~scaled sofa print from Celebrating Home. The sconces beside the print are the Ellington Wall Sconces and these are large~scaled metal sconces with a crackled glass hurricane that is capable of holding pillar candles 3" in diameter. My suggested paint color would be one in the sage or golden range, however, the picture would make a dramatic statement on a berry colored wall, also. I found the fabrics through one of my suppliers, Greenhouse Fabrics, and loved the way they set off the colors in the print. The little Bergere Chair and Ottoman are from Ballard Designs~so CUTE! The colors and fabrics on the board are only suggestions. I think it would make a very pretty traditional setting, what do you think?
     Thanks for taking time to stop by and see what I'm up to this Friday, God bless each of you and I am praying that each of you is well and that you will have a beautiful week~end!

Cozy Hugs,
Charlotte
    

What's Cookin' Monday!

Good afternoon, sweet friends. I am just now getting around to my little blog and, as promised, will post the recipe for this week. We started back to our homeschooling today and had a wonderful start to the new school year~very enjoyable morning of lessons. I will post more about that on my other HS blog. Without further ado, here's what's cookin' at our house today:

Slow-Cooked Beef Ribs                              

4 lb. beef short ribs
1 large onion, quartered
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. MAXWELL HOUSE Instant Coffee
1 tsp. potato starch

PLACE ribs, onions and garlic in your Celebrating Home slow cooker /Bean pot. Combine ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, coffee granules and potato starch; pour over ingredients in slow cooker. Cover with lid.

COOK on 350 degrees for 3 hours.

REMOVE ribs and onions from your Celebrating Home slow cooker /Bean pot; cover to keep warm. Skim and discard excess fat from sauce. Return ribs and onion to sauce; stir gently until evenly coated.

Celebrating Home Veranda Bean Pot

I am serving our ribs with baked potatoes and California Style mixed vegetables. Cooking in a Bean Pot slow cooker is an easy way to fix your meals early. You can add the side dishes to your oven according to the time they need in the oven. I like to bake my potatoes at 350 for anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour. The mixed veggies are frozen and can go into the oven in a covered casserole with 1/3 cup of water during the last 45 minutes of baking seasoned with butter, salt and pepper to taste.  Everything comes out at the same time, set a pretty table and call the family to dinner. Enjoy!!!

Hugs to all,
Charlotte

Been Thinkin' and Prayin' and Here is What I'm Doin'

     Dearest blog sisters, I hope that you are all having a wonderful sunny day in your corner of the world. We are still having some of those "soupy" summer days here in WV. I am hoping things start to cool down a bit with the coming of September. I LOVE autumn and cannot wait to see the leaves start to change, neighbors sitting out pots of mums and foddershocks by their front porches, and to smell that wonderful first whiff of someone burning wood in their fireplace~ahhh!
     I have truly been thinking and praying about the direction that my life in the land of blogs and writing, and I believe that the Lord has directed my decision as to what needs to be done. I will be combining the Cozy Home Journal (simple living tips, recipes, poetry, etc) with the Cozy Home Cottage. I am going to try and post three days a week and will have specific goals for the posts. You can look forward to a new recipe on Mondays. I am keeping the weekends for visiting and reading your wonderful blogs. Since Mondays mark the beginning of my business week, I try to plan easy "pop-in-th-oven" or slow cooker dinners for my family. I will be posting the recipes for these simple, yet yummy, meals here in a featured post I call "What's Cookin' Mondays". Wednesday posts will be something inspirational or personal or both.  The posts might include news about happenings going on around here at the old cottage, tips I have found that simplify my days or short devotionals or something poetic in nature. Just whatever strikes my fancy that day. Fridays feature will be something entirely new for the old CHC blog. I will be featuring a new "story board" each week showing various color schemes and ideas to inspire your home decorating. All of my posts will remain as chatty and friendly as ever, I never want to sound "teachy" or stiff. Blogs are about sharing with friends and having fun. I don't like "know-it-all" posts and I never want to sound that way, either.
     I will also maintain a new Cozy Home Academy blog here on Blogger to chronicle our homeschool happenings. I realize that not all of my dear CHC readers homeschool, so this way you will not have to read all about our lessons, field trips and adventures, unless you are so inclined to go over to that blog for a bit. We are very eclectic in our learning, sometimes things are great, sometimes they are not, but we always have lots of fun. You are welcome to check that one out anytime you wish.
     I will be starting the new changes this coming week, so don't forget to pop in to see "What's Cookin' Monday". I hold each of you dear in my heart and love that you count me as a friend in blogland. Hugs and prayers for each of you. Hope that you have a wonderful weekend.

Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

      Can you believe it is August already!!! This summer has FLOWN passed and I can't believe it is already time for us to get started on homeschooling again. I have been working on a schedule for our days and our lessons as well as taking time to visit with friends and family as they drop by. I am usually not real good with posting details of my day to day life and my kids say that they prefer not to become part of my blog life~gotta respect their wishes, I guess. We had a wonderful "surprise" visit from our daughter who lives in NC at the end of July. She and her hubby and son decided to come up and she called us the night before to make sure it was OK...of COURSE it was OK!!!! We were thrilled to see them and had a wonderful time together. The other kids came over and we had a wonderful dinner together. Hope they can come back again soon. I always love to have my kids come home, even if it is just for a little while.
     I am also trying to decide on the course of my blog life. I could really use some wise advice from my sweet blog sisters on this one. I currently have three blogs and two of them are on another blog server. I have had one up since 2006 and one from 2007. Each of my blogs cover a different area of interest in my life. One is homeschool, one is thrifty living, recipes and organizing and, of course, this one that was intended to be all about decorating, but we all know how that is working out~lol. This is where I need your imput. I am thinking of bringing all of my blogs here, but I am wondering if I should keep them all separate, or just combine everything on this one little blog. What do you think?
     I am posting a recipe for you to try. You can use a covered casserole dish to make this in, or your favorite pretty salad bowl, but I use my Bean Pot from Celebrating Home to make it. You know, of course, that everything tastes better from a Bean Pot ;-) This just such a summertime classic and there are still more good picnic and family reunion days left before the official end of summertime.


All American Potato Salad (In a Bean Pot, of course :-)


Ingredients

5 pounds red potatoes
6 eggs
2 cups mayonnaise
1 onion, diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender but still firm. Drain, cool and cut into cubes. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.

In a large bowl, combine chopped potatoes and eggs. Mix together mayonnaise, chopped onion, green onion, green pepper, and celery. Season with salt and pepper, then mix well. Place in your chilled Bean Pot, cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. The chilled porcelain Bean Pot will keep your salad cold for 2-3 hours.
 
I pray that all is well with each of you. I have been having fun visiting many of your blogs, I may not always comment, but I so enjoy pleasant afternoons reading about what is new with you. You are all dear to me and I am always so blessed by your posts. If you try the recipe, let me know how you like it and don't forget to let me know your thoughts on what I should do with my blogs.
 
Until later, Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

Not So Chatty.....

Hmmm, what to say, well, come on brain, think of something to tell your blog friends. There must be something new around the Cozy Home Cottage to write about in a post...brain, wake up brain....(sigh)...Well, Ladies, maybe soon. Right now I am just having a bit of trouble getting this old brain to come up with something cleaver for you to read. It must be the heat and humidity (good excuse, even though the air conditioning is set to 77...;-) Hugs to all and hope you are are all staying cool and comfy.

Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

A True Southern Beauty

Wow, how quickly time has passed me by this morning (and most of the afternoon)!!! I had grand intentions of blogging first thing this morning, but it is now almost 3:00 and I am just now getting on my dear little blog to post something new for you to read. I have been busy straightening the office/classroom, vacuuming and taking care of all the usual Monday morning chores. In addition, I have been flipping through fabric books for a client that needs something pretty in brown and gold to cover a window seat. I LOVE flipping through the fabric books...so many PRETTY fabrics! I have to get some other things started, but wanted to post a link to a GORGEOUS set of house plans from EPlans. There are hundreds of plan sites on the web, but I love their plans the best. They have so many nice cottage and traditional styles to choose from and their room layouts are wonderful. This one is a REAL Georgia PEACH, if ever I did see one, I do declare!!!

I just LOVE the side porches and the fan light over the front door!!! Not to mention the HUGE Livingroom/Dining room combo with dual fireplaces~WOW!!! If you are building and want to order the plans, please enter the site through one of my banner ads. I would be ever so appreciative of your kind thoughtfulness. Sending you sweet southern hugs and hoping that your day is going well!!!

Stay Cozy and Cool,
Charlotte

Artistic Endeavors

Good morning all! I know that many of your are "Wordless" on Wednesdays, but, those that know me well know that I am rarely without words ;-)  I wanted to share a couple of pieces of art that I did a few years ago. I love to paint, but have always done it strictly as a hobby and have been a bit shy about sharing my "masterpieces" with anyone other than my closest friends and family. My art tends to be on the whimsical side and a bit child-like in nature. I would love to develop my technique in painting more realistic scenery, but when I pick up my brushes my silly inner child comes out to play, and you just never know what that girl is going to do. These two paintings have been hanging in my office until recent changes called for their removal so that HUGE maps could be hung on the walls as part of the room's transformation to our new "learning room" for homeschool. I love the first one as it reminds me of those early spring days where you have sun one minute and rain the next. You know the days; slightly breezy and then the wind kicks up and things begin to swirl in the cross winds...March or early April weather. I called it "Whirly~gigs" and painted it about 8 years ago. I used sand and paper shreds and fibers to create texture on the canvas and then painted it using several favorite brushes and a spray bottle filled with diluted acrylic paint for the effect of gentle rain drops. It was messy, but so much FUN!

The second one is called, "My Favorite Blanket" and was inspired by my first sweet kitty, Patty Paws. She was my dear kitty-friend for 16 years. I got her when I was 7 and she was 6 weeks old. I wanted to pay her homage on canvas. It is abstract in nature and the colors in the background are intended to create a dream-like effect as that is where my dear Patty now exists~in my sweetest memories and dreams. She is poised on a leopard print "blanket". The print is suggestive of her "wild cat" personality while the fabric is soft flannel; just like Patty-Paws had her "soft-side", too. When I look at it, my mind floods with memories of sweet times with her.

Well, there you have it, a little sample of my artistic side. I know that I may never be another Rembrandt, but it makes me happy. I guess that is the purpose of art in the first place, it makes us smile!

Hugs to all, and Stay Cozy!!!
Charlotte

Sweet Summer Days

     Happy Summer dear blog friends!!! I looked at my little banner yesterday and noticed that it stated "Today is the Last Day of Spring". Today is the first official day of Summer! It has felt like summer here in beautiful Wild Wonderful WV for at least the last month and we have had some days where it felt like we were walking around in a big bowl of chicken broth~very HUMID!!! But, then, that is part of the 3 H's that make up our summer climate here in the Mountain State; Hazy, Hot and Humid. But I wouldn't live anywhere else in the world (well, unless that somewhere was Ireland ;-)

     I went out on my front porch for a bit yesterday after church and sat in our rockers for a bit. I spend a lot of time out there on nice days, and yesterday was not too humid or hot, so it was very enjoyable to just sit and rock a bit. We did our Father's Day celebrating the day before at mom and dad's so we just enjoyed a quiet day here at our home and had some barbequed chicken, savory oven potatoes and baked beans for our dinner. It is one of those dinners that requires very little prep time and then you get it all in the oven to bake for about an hour while you sit back and relax. That is my favorite kind of cookin'.

     While I was outside, I took a couple of pictures of my tiny little flower bed. The hostas are blooming and I also got a shot of the new little Dogwood seedling that my dad gave me from their yard a couple of months ago. It has already grown about five inches and has gained three new branches. I am thinking that if it keeps doing well through the summer and the fall that I will transplant it to the center of the yard next spring to give it more room. I will close for now, I have been busy writing this morning and my eyes are feeling a bit strained. Hope you are all having the start of a wonderful summer, wherever you are! 

Hugs for Now and Stay Cozy!
Charlotte

A Wonderful Find

Good morning, dear ones,

I am having one of those days where my mind just seems to be traveling to old and familiar places. You know the kind, quiet, reflective, focused on family life and home and the things that matter most in this life. I had started yesterday with many worries on my mind, real and perceived.  I was concerned with our finances(never enough no matter who we are, right) my parent's health, the problems of the grown children (no matter how old they are, they are still our babies) and other things that occasionally cross my poor, weary brain. I took a little break from work and worry and retreated to my favorite chair in our living room, the one beside the big round table where I keep some of my favorite poetry books. I was reading one of my favorite Helen Steiner Rice books when I happened to think about something I saw in the small cedar chest in our dining room the last time my daughter was snooping in there. I went and got it out and realized just what a TREASURE I had in my hands, the very thing I needed to help lift me from my self-indulgent worry. About 17 years ago my cousin, Kay, had typed up some of the wonderful family stories told by my mom and my oldest aunt. She did this for a family reunion and everyone there got a copy to take home. I was SPELLBOUND!!! I had forgotten some of these and had totally forgotten that my mom had her own section because, as the last little un-expected baby, she had memories that were much different than those of the older siblings. It was a wonderful, sentimental journey and today I am just feeling wistful and so very grateful that God saw fit to place me in such a wonderful earthly family. I am also so very glad that He has given me a wonderful inheritance into His family through my loving Savior, His son, Jesus. I am a very blessed girl, indeed...

Love to all and
Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

A Friend in High Places....

Look who I spotted WAY up high, first thing in the morning~where she is NOT supposed to be lying.....

She was so comfortable and curled up in a little ball until she spotted me coming in to make my coffee and she sat up and struck the pose as if to say, "Take my picture, mom"...she is such a priss-pot! It was easy enough to get her down from there, however. A little bit of left-over chicken breast always works wonders when I am trying to get her away from mischief ;-)

Hugs and Stay Cozy,

Charlotte

   

A Bath Blog

Hello friends of mine,

I have been meaning to start posting more photos from around my Cozy Little Home and the other day someone asked me a question concerning the way my bath is decorated. Well, I broke out the camera and snapped a few pictures. As you all know, my favorite colors (the ones that make me smile) are the pretty pastels that can be found in a spring garden. These colors can be found all through my house and my bath is no exception. Here are the photos:

The wall paper on the top half of the walls was here when we moved in and we have kept it because the neutral tones go well with the flooring. Another plus is that the neutral color makes changing accessories, towels and rug colors very easy. The little chest beside the, um, potty :-} is wonderful for storing extra rolls of paper. The small basket on top of it makes a great place for after bath lotions, a candle and the can of air freshener. It is a simple room and not one that will be featured in any magazines any time soon, but it has a certain charm that is sweet to me. Just thought I would share it with you. Hope you are all having a BEAUTIFUL Friday!!!!

Wishing You a BEAUTIFUL Mother's Day

Dearest ones,

I have not been by here to post anything for a bit, but I wanted to take a few minutes today to wish each of my sweet blog friends a Happy Mother's Day!!! I spent Wednesday with my momma and daddy and we had just the BEST visit together! We had a nice lunch with some of her good cherry cobbler for dessert. We took time to have a long walk around the yard to look at all of her newly blooming coral azaleas and the rhododendron that I got her about 16 years ago; they were LOADED with blooms. She shared some newspaper articles that she had saved for me. It was just filled with the kind of moments that make being mother and daughter so special. The very kind of sweet moments that our mind saves for remembering to get us through the hard times that are sure to come into our lives. If you are a momma, I wish that today you will take time to spend with your sons and daughters. If you are a grown daughter or son and your momma is still with you, my wish is that you will have a wonderful day with her. I know that some of you have lost your own mommas or children and I am hoping that today you are able to think about all of the sweet memories that you made while you were together on this road called life. Our mommas are our FIRST friends and our BEST friends and we learn so much from them in our lives. As mommas we give the BEST we have to be the MENTORS and FRIENDS that our children need. I hope that, however you spend today, there will be LOTS of special memories made with your families.

Love and Hugs,
Charlotte

HOME

Good (quiet) Morning, all,

I have just been sweetly enjoying a morning filled with simple, serene moments. I woke at 6:30 after a night filled with not-so-nice dreams. I had some disturbing images of someone wanting to hurt me all night long and I slept very fitfully...so much for fried potatoes just before bed...quothe the momma, "NeverAgain"! Anyway, after I had my first sip of good old, refreshing water, I got to my computer in my quiet little office and my good old kitty, Zoot, was asleep in the chair beside of mine. Now watching that kitty sleep is the quintesential definition of "peaceful". She was even snoring~so CUTE! I did not dare to pet her, I was not about to disturb HER sweet dreams~I was just glad that someone in the house was having a good sleep. I read my email and my good old Facebook page and had 2 cups of good coffee and some toast with butter~ahhh. I am realizing more and more just how VERY much I enjoy the simple pleasures of daily life at home. This good old house just wraps her walls around me and I feel so safe and secure. The funny thing about my dreams last night was the fact that, even in my sleep, the place I headed to for safety was my room in this house...I could see it in my dream and my husband was there to hold me tight so that no one could hurt me. It was a wonderful feeling and the one that I woke up with that was the settling end to my restless night. My hubby and my son are just now waking up for the day and I am looking forward to a nice quiet Saturday together. Later in the day, my step-son is coming by to take Caleb to the Circus with his family. I will probably work in a good nap sometime this afternoon, just my kind of day!!! Hope that you are having a good week-end, too.

Sending you BIG HUGS,
Charlotte

My Week (at A Glance) :-D

     Good morning, blog sisters!!!! I have been up since 6:15 and have had my quiet morning time with God, and my fun on Facebook and I am now getting ready to hop off of my old computer and get started with my day! I am hoping to get a couple of articles written for Two Lane Livin' and for Shiloah Baker over at the Homemaking Cottage. It seems that my life as a writer might be taking off, after all! I am also working on a brochure for the future Historic Preservation Society for our little town of Dunbar, WV. I am working on this project with our mayor's wife and I am VERY excited about it!!! I will let you know more about the Society as it comes together. We are having our second meeting tomorrow at 11:00 AM.
     This is also the last official week of Caleb's school year!!! We are finishing the last of his lessons so that we can start enjoying the beautiful weather!!!! We love to get out and have picnics at the parks in our area, go on hikes and Caleb loves to ride his bike. I will finish his portfolio by the end of next week and have it all ready for our review. Then, maybe, I can get this classroom/studio back into shape!  
     I wanted to share another one of my little poems with you before I go. This one also serves as the philosophy for my business and our home:

I hope that you are having a Cozy week wherever you are!!!

Hugs from WV,
Charlotte

Poetry: Music to Sooth Your Blues

     Good morning all! I am taking time to write a much over-due posting this morning before I travel from my Cozy Home to join friends at our monthly Poetry Club meeting. I really look forward to this every month and this month I have 3 newly penned poems to share with my fellow poets in progress. Our life is a good one here at our sweet little cottage in WV, but I still battle with some depression from time to time. I think that may be the very reason that I love my poetry group. The group is more than just a creative outlet for me, these friends are wonderful in the way we support and encourage each other.
     You see, I have been feeling a bit down this past week due to some of the changes that have happened in my life over the past couple of years. I am still taking my momma to the wound care center once a week for her legs (yes, now both are bandaged for ulcers-this does not make either of us happy, especially my very independent mom-about-town momma as she cannot get out and go like she was always used to doing), my little business is not as busy as I would like for it to be. This means that the money is not as plentiful as we would like, the necessities are taken care of, but things get pretty squeaky around the last week of the month. I am having some real issues with being in crowded situations and I am wondering if this has anything to do with the sharp decline in estrogen since my surgery last June. Anyway, all of these things have had a real negative affect on my mood and especially this past week for some reason. 
     This is where my poetry friends and our group come into the picture. Now, believe me, I know that the Lord is my strength and my hope, and my prayer life is very active. But, sometimes I turn into such a whiny little child and that is when I turn to pen and paper to try and get some of these bitter-teared-emotions down on paper. I sometimes feel like the Psalmist because as I am writing the strangest thing happens. You know how even the saddest and most plaintive of the psalms always end with praises to the Lord...well, that is what happens to my poetry, also. I sat down yesterday to write some soul saddened works, some poetry that would epitomize the scope of saddness that I was feeling. I was hoping to relay just how encumbered my life is with care...oh, woe is me! Well, it wasn't long into my writing that I read back one of my poor, pitiul pennings and realized just how it must sound to my Creator, my Redeemer and my Friend who gave all so that I may have life, and more abundantly! WOW, what a silly little cry baby I am...I forgot to count my blessings and I was letting the old adversary get the best of me. I turned my creative cap around and got busy writing a "new song", one more befitting a daughter of the Lord Most High! I will share it at my group today. I am shy about posting very personal poetry here, but I will this time in the hopes that it might help someone. It is about my quiet morning devotional times:

Time Alone With God

Charlotte Spears
April 2010

In the sweet, calm hours
Of the early morn
Before my family stirs
Ready to rouse and
Begin a brand-new day,
I am surrounded by soft darkness
That belongs to the hushed
Hours, just before the sunrise.
These are the golden moments
Where I meet my LORD, alone
To offer Him my thanks
For all that He has done,
Where I strain to hear
His still, small voice
As I ask His direction
To guide my day ahead
In these tranquil times
Spent with Him alone
I find the sweetest peace within
There truly is NO GREATER JOY
Than our quiet time together! ©

     The other sad, sad, works were tucked away, they may or may not ever be shared, but they will remain to remind me of the way I sound to others and to my Lord when I complain about my life. All that will be counted in the end are my works for Him, I always want to be a good witness for all that He has given to me.
      I am currently working on Caleb's homeschool portfolio which is the biggest reason that no pictures of the new classroom/studio have been posted. You guessed it, no sooner did we get all organized than the stacks of homeschool books, papers and projects just kind of took over the room--oh, well it is worth it!!!I will try my best to get some pictures up some time in May as our review is set for June the third--WOOHOO!!! I am sending BIG HUGS to you all and hoping that you are all having a wonderfully blessed week!

Until Next Time~Stay Cozy!
Charlotte

Do It Yourself Ottoman

Question to my sweet blog family: How can you tell when a blogger's days are really busy? Yup, you guessed it, they temporarily disapear from Blogland! Well, guess what? Yup, my days have been really busy around here lately! I have been really getting down to the wire with my young one and his studies as we are trying to pull together a really good portfolio for his Homeschool review. I have also been doing more writing and have several articles and some poetry filed away for future blog posts, poetry club meetings and my monthly installment for Two Lane Livin'. All of this plus, I have started to work on some of those projects for the craft fairs that I am planning on attending this coming fall. I want to take plenty of time to get things ready for these so that I have a good assortment to take with me, so I am starting on them early. I also do not want to feel rushed to get them completed. I am never sure when my mom or my dad or my MIL might have to call on us and I like to be on stand-by, just in case.

I have found the cutest DIY project to share with you from Better Homes and Gardens:

Do It Yourself Ottoman

I LOVE the bright colors and the French Country feeling of these ottomans. The instructions are included in the article. I am thinking that it would be neat to make some matching pillows to sprinkle around the room along with them for added impact! I hope that you are having a wonderful day in your Home-Sweet-Home!!!! Stay busy, but not too busy to come out and visit Blogland for a bit of rest and inspiration. You ladies are the BEST!

Stay Cozy 'til Next Time,
Charlotte

Color 101: Picking Your Palette - Photos - MyHomeIdeas.com

Hello and good morning to all!!! I am excited to tell you that yesterday the temperature in our little corner of the Big Cozy World reached 48 degrees farenheit!!! We were ecstatic!!! Caleb got to go outside and ride his skateboard, Robin sat on our backporch and had coffee while talking to his mom on the phone and I even ventured out on the porch for a bit, myself! It was WONDERFUL! Now, while they are predicting some more of that cold, white stuff for us later in the week; that little taste of things to come will keep me twittering (no not the social network, rather literally bubbling over with excitement) for days! I went online this morning looking for some beautiful decorating ideas and came across this article on color:

Color 101: Picking Your Palette - Photos - MyHomeIdeas.com

I never grow tired of talking about color, or seeing new ideas for color combinations. Hope you enjoyed the article and I hope you are having a little taste of SPRING wherever you live!!!

Until Next Time
Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

Cute Spring Accessory for You to Make!

http://www.oddityinc.com/vBlog.asp?nShow=57

Good morning blog buddies!!!! I am just getting ready to hop of of my old computer and start my day, but I wanted to post this cute little lesson from Oddity Inc. for you to see. I LOVE the garden cloches that I see on so many blogs, but did not know where to go to find them. Oddity has them in all different sizes!!! This is the latest 5 Minute Decor video with a quick lesson on putting one together. I am SO ready to start decorating for SPRING!!!  Click the link under the picture to watch the video, but please, do me the great favor of going to my store link (located on the right side of my blog) if you would like to purchase the items for your Cozy Home. My family would graciously thank you for that courtesy.

I have finished the new classroom/art studio but have not taken time to get any new photos of it to post here, yet. Caleb and I are enjoying all that room for learning and creating our art projects. We have decided that Fridays are our "Art Days"!!!! That gives us something to really look forward to all week long. I will get the pictures posted as soon as time allows. For now I am sending big hugs to all of you. I have had a wonderful morning visiting with some of you. It is always so much fun to stop by and read about what everyone has been doing in your little corners of the world! I hope you all have a wonderful week!!!

Stay Cozy, 

Charlotte 

More Snow, Still Organizing and A Little Aboout a Bobeche

     Good morning to all and Happy Saturday!!! I love Saturday mornings, always have!!! I guess it goes back to my childhood and having my daddy home on the week-ends. There was something so magical about that-he worked so hard during the week that we did not get to see him very long each week day. Week-ends were like mini-holidays to me then and I guess some of that magical quality has remained with me over the years.
     We are having more snow here in WV this morning. It was fun the first couple of times this winter, but I am so ready for springtime, now! My silly cat loves it and is out on the back porch for a minute watching the flakes fall to the ground. Whenever it snows, she goes out and in all day just like a kid. She is part Maine Coon Cat and I think that the cold feels good to her, especially with that extra thick winter coat she gets. She will be back in momentarily to get another bite of food and a fresh drink of water and maybe a cat nap, but for now she is porch sittin' and watching the snow! Caleb is watching an old family Christmas video from when he was around 2 years old and my sweet hubby is frying some bacon--mmmm. I am just taking a break from our cleaning out and organizing to catch up on a blog or two.
     The office is coming along nicely and I am still clearing out and sewing my window treatment. We have gotten ourselves into a MAJOR cleaning spree around here!!! It all started out so simple with the re-vamping of the office, but the effort has now expanded into cleaning out all of our closets and cupboards! Where does all of this STUFF come from??? I called a local charity and they are coming on Thursday to pick up the things that are in good condition so that someone else that might really need them can put them to good use. We are on a roll and it feels so good to clear out the un-needed clutter from our home and lives.
     I have also been taking time to promote my online businesses a little more this week. This is a large part of how I contribute to our family income and I love to talk about it every chance I get. I had someone call the other day asking about the fundraising program from Celebrating Home. They are having an expo for businesses to share their fundraising opportunities with Relay For Life team captains and wanted to know if I would be interested in attending to share mine. It will be in April and I told them that I would LOVE to be there. The other little web business, ODDITY Inc. is also a fun place to shop and find many interesting little "jewels" to add that extra sparkle to your home. I am crazy over their collection of  bobeches.

     These are so beautiful and add such an elegant touch to candle sticks. They have some that are more modern without the crystals dangling down, too, but these are my favorites. If you want to see the others just follow the link: http://www.oddityinc.com/customer_stores/shop/search.asp

     I hope you are having a wonderful Saturday morning wherever you are! I am going now to eat some of that wonderful breakfast that Chef Robin has been working on for us. Hugs for now.

Stay Cozy,

Charlotte