Right Here. Right Now.

What I'm wearing .... pyjama's and big warm socks! Time change this weekend so we slept in and then we're off to sleep early tonight. Busy week ahead.

What I'm reading .... "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig. Can't remember who suggested it but very good, so far.

What's happening in my kitchen .... lights out, dishes done ....

What's outside my window .... a warm evening with very dark but cloudless skies.

What I'm thankful for .... beautiful weather that is not typical but we'll take it!

What I'm smelling .... my snack ~ cashews and raisins.

What I'm hearing .... the tv, though I'm not watching it. We just finished watching "The Last of Us" and the behind the scenes special on Crave down in the theatre room. Just finishing up some paperwork and then I'm off to bed, so the tv is just back ground noise in the moment.

What I'm crafting .... a dollhouse, of course!

What's on my mind .... my mom, always, always my mom.

Words to live by .... see the beautiful quote above. It's really more like a poem. I just had to post. 

Having an amazing week!

~ Chy

Light and Bright Drive Home.

Before the time change this weekend. A light drive

home from being in town for the day. Beautiful!

Love how bright the sun was as it set. Soon it will

be late in the day before it goes down. Almost there!

~ Chy

Conflicted Feelings on a Snowy Afternoon.

My dh is making lots of tea for me lately in my favorite mug. Work has become very busy and the path we're on is causing a lot of conflicting feelings, not just for myself, but my team and co~workers as well. My hope is we'll survive this time and our programming will continue to grow and thrive. It's hard to be in the midst of it all and not having a clear picture of what it'll be like on the other side. For now, I smile and nod, and keep my focus on the tasks at hand.

When I have conflicted feelings, I often struggle with how they started then what to do with them. In the moment, as we wait for Spring to grace our lives, I've stayed close to our cozy cottage, ensuring every day I notice something that is beautiful in my world. It's hard work and doesn't always work as my stomach is in constant knots, I can't sleep and my head is full of worry and distress. My confidence is so low that I question every day what I'm doing, how I'm doing it and if my process is meeting the marks of those who are leading. We're almost end that end of the list of tasks. The outcome is still uncertain and it's making me exhausted. I long for a clear evening or a free weekend to relax again.

What are your go to tips and trips for working

through difficult times? I'm looking for ideas!

~ Chy

Growing a Blythe Doll Wardrobe.

Carys has very few clothes, so it was

time to fill up her little wardrobe ....

I love this seller sent along a few tiny

Care Bear stickers. And sweet clothes!

A lacy dress in pretty white. The detail

is amazing and so tiny with precision.

Love this frilly shirt with the corduroy

and very soft overalls. Oh the buttons!

The pink coat that came with the white

dress. I can't wait to try this one on her.

She appears to love the choices we

made for her new look. So sweet!

Look how precious this is. I need to

now find a pretty pair of dressy shoes.

And the overalls are too cute with the

lacy shirt. Not sure what shoes would

go with this as the overalls are short.

Her tiny feet are sweet so maybe I'll

leave them bare when she wears this

or see if I can find a pair of sandals.

More to come as tiny little packages

arrive at our front door. with new items.

Have an amazing and sunny Sunday!

~ Chy

When Do You Blog?

Spring decor that I totally forgot to take down

last September when we decorated for  Fall.

A sweet vintage lamp that we found at

the Antique Mall a couple of years ago.

My beautiful writing desk that we found

second hand. An Ethan Allen piece and

the lovely family that sold it to us shared

they had never used it. No marks anywhere!

Time is moving fast. I wish it would slow down sometimes. We're almost finished with February. Today, I will start with a heartfelt and sincere apology. I've been very quiet on my blog but not by complete intent. For the last few years, I moved from writing 260 blog posts a year to 400. I chose that number with the idea I would write frequently, something suggested for new bloggers to gain followers. And I did just that. I also liked the idea of capturing as much of life as I can. Not just to share but also to document our journey. For now, I've chosen to downgrade slightly to give myself some grace as I move through, as we move through, a difficult time in our life. Nothing I want to share just a blip in the land of bliss. For 2023, I'll aim for 260 again and hope to get back to 400 in time. I truly hope this won't lose the interest of my blogging buddies but I do understand if it's not enough to keep you engaged. Please know I read all your blogs every day, and though many of you write each day, I have become more aware that each day doesn't fit in to everyone's schedule. I plan to use Instagram a bit more as a way to document as well, until life settles again and I can get more posts up again. For now, 10 to 20 a month is my goal, with content that varies from our little cottage interior, to our exterior, gardening, work, volunteering, family, travel, writing my book and life in general. 

Oh, and art! Can't forget our art ....

You may recall when we were building our cottage that we often joked we were "building an art studio with a house attached" and our studio is a constant state of activity. I use it for restoring dollhouses, building mini furniture, sewing, journaling and scrapbooking. It also has a workout area with a treadmill and a Bow Flex, along with a corner that is set up as a little playroom. Finally, a spot for dh to tape/livestream his radio shows on our station. I have many favorite spots in the cottage but the studio is literally a work in progress as we continue to work on it's function and style. One day, it will be all finished. 

On to other things ....

It's snowing quite a bit outside today and supposed to continue through tomorrow. It's a long weekend here ~ Family Day in Alberta ~ so we don't have to go anywhere. Lovely when we need the snow to settle before we venture out on the highway. Yesterday was busy but today is nice and quiet. I love cozy days at home and outside of this post and a warm shower, the only other things on my list today are to complete a grant that is due next week and catch up on my case notes. This is our first big snow since before Christmas. Not too cold yet but it may get colder through the week. I'm always so grateful for our little cottage in the big woods but anytime it's cold, or snowy, or rainy, I'm beyond thankful for our safe and comfy home. 

When do you blog and how often?

Where do you blog or is it anywhere?

Wishing you a beautiful snowy day 

OR one that is warm and sunny.

~ Chy

Frilly Dress.

Sweet Carys received another package

in the mail not long after she arrived.

From a lovely seller from overseas. It

was fun to open up the lovely wrapping.

And inside was this very frilly dress with

an embroidered flower on the front. Short

sleeves and a layered, flouncy, ruffled skirt.

Carys looks amazing in this beautiful dress!

~ Chy

Foggy Days.

Our range road with icy fog. Happy we

have had very little snow but the fog

and ice crystals are a bit much at times.

Spring is almost here - 30 more days!

The highway was a bit clearer. But still

hard to see, though it looks not bad here.

I will take this any day over roads that

are covered in ice and huge snowfalls!

~ Chy

Valentine's Day.

A pretty bag with the most heartfelt

of cards for my lovey on Valentine's.

And his sweet bag and beautiful card

for me. It was a lovely day all around!

~ Chy