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

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

Ta-Da: The Latest Member of the Family

I am just taking a minute this morning to post the promised photos of my daughter's sweet new son. Introducing Wyatt Lee (last name withheld at the request of my daughter and son-in-law) hope you enjoy the pics:

From top to bottom and left to right: The new momma with her little one, my sweet hubby (aka pawpaw), me and our son, Caleb (aka Uncle Caleb) and my mom and dad at their house. We are all so glad that he is here and so healthy! Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!!!
Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

Back to Regular Posts

     Whew....has it been a long time since I have posted anything! Sorry about that. I have not forgotten my sweet little blog, I have just been busy around here with a multitude of STUFF! I have been busy with our son and his homeschooling, my daughter had a new baby (pictures will be coming soon), my Celebrating Home business has been on a steady increase, I have a couple of design projects that I am working on, my mom has been in and out of the hospital with a venous leg ulcer that just does not want to get well, and, of course, there are the chores that come with every day living.
     I had one other new and very interesting opportunity come my way a few of months ago. I am now writing a monthly column for my favorite local publication, Two Lane Livin'. My column is titled "Feather Your Nest" and it is also included on the web version. I love writing the articles for my column and try to keep them short, sweet and informative for my readers. This is true of the other columns that you will find there, also. The best part about Two Lane Livin' is that there is no "bad news" reported there. No politics, no murder or larceny, just good news and lots of good ideas for every day living from every day folks. Kind of like taking a minute out of your busy day to visit with your neighbors. Stop by and check it out. You will love the wonderful down home appeal that editor, Lisa Hayes Minney, maintains in this "little jewel" of a paper from Central WV.
     I do plan to get back to putting up regular weekly posts here at my humble little blog starting this week. I have some pictures to share from around my cozy little cottage as well as some ideas to share to help you with decorating your cozy cottages, too. It does seem good to stop a while and visit with each of my blog buddies here. Hope that each of you are having a wonderful week!!!!

Big Hugs and Stay Cozy,
Charlotte