Ninety-three Birthdays!

 Celebrating my mom's 93rd birthday with my youngest sister!

We even gave her the special nail treatment!

We used the stick-on polish strips!

Stay Cozy, 

Carrie

My frst "Wordless Wednesday"...

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Staying Cozy in this backyard...,

Carrie

A Japanese breakfast...

Tamagoyaki is a delicious Japanese omelette that's a staple of 

a traditional Japanese breakfast. 

Made by rolling layers of seasoned egg together, it is a quick an easy breakfast 

or side dish that's perfect for adding some protein, cheese or veggies to. 

I came across a YouTube video and was excited to try it...the next day my husband had ordered the pan for me and it was at my front door!

I think one of the reasons why Tamagoyaki has become such a staple of Japanese

 cuisine is because of how easy it is to make. I love the pan!

 Once you’ve made it a few times, you can put one 

together in under five minutes.

 And you can add  all different ingredients  to your liking...

I cut them up in rolls and put them in my husband's lunch bag!

You can easily warm them up in the microwave too.

Stay Cozy...

Carrie

Must be "Baby Season"...

 Busy baby times call for the Grandma in me to come on full force!

My twin daughters gave birth within six weeks of one another.

 My 2nd grandson, August was born on June 30th...

 and my first grand daughter, Lini on August 9th.

We have certainly been blessed and very busy as well. 

"Lini"

"August"

Staying Very Cozy,

Carrie

When Life Gives You Carrots...

I was very excited recently to present my family with a 3-layer carrot cake...

drizzling with cream cheese frosting, exquisitely served on a beautiful cake plate.

I decided to try a new recipe- this cake would be a gluten-free, low carb version.

Into the oven went the three layers. A taste test revealing a delicious raw dough!

Timer set - the baking began.

 Upon its retrieval from the hot oven the cake appeared a bit thinner than usual,

 but still smelled and looked wonderful. As usual I let it cool before turning it out of the pans...

But that is where the dilemma began...

as hard as I tried - the stubborn cake would not budge!

 I tried the knife around the edge trick, the turn it upside down and bang on the pan routine,

 the re-warm the bottom of the pan try...but this cake was indeed stuck -

with no intention of coming out in anything close to one piece!

Salvaging even one intact layer let alone three was impossible...so... improvise I must. 

I began to earnestly scrape the cake out of the pans - noticing a slight, albeit unintentional,

 welcoming caramelization that occurred during the bake, each spoonful revealing that familiar

 carrot cake aroma.

 I would make this work!

 Instead of a 3-layer cake I would serve a "Deconstructed Carrot Cake Crumble" with

 a dollop of cream cheese icing on top. 

And you know what - it was absolutely the BEST carrot cake I have ever made or eaten!

It REALLY was!

Yes...I had to literally scrape it out of the pans, but when it was pried loose it was just delectable.

 And it was a good reminder to me that even the best laid plans, though they may not go the way we hoped, can be made good and maybe even better than we imagined.

 Just as God promises us - when bad things happen, He can use them to accomplish good... and even sweet and rich adventures in our lives.

Stay Cozy,

Carrie

I love to bless our clients with special gifts...

I really enjoy creating special gifts for people.

MY LOVE LANGUAGE = GIFTS 

 I put together this patriotic gift basket for a new homeowner who decorates in red-white and blue.

These little "pop-by" gifts are for our special clients.

 The little boxes are filled with "lemonheads"

And this darling couple moved into their first home.

Stay Cozy,

Carrie

My 1st Crafting Tutorial - Let's Make Chunky Mail...

I love to craft, decorate and organize - and like many of you I have many passions!  I decided to give YouTube a try where I can post some fun crafting and other tutorials to share with others.

 Here is my first one...please tell me what you think. 

Of course, I would love it if you would hit the subscribe button on the video to help my channel get started...or even go over and visit my channel where you can see my introduction video as well. 

I can really use your support! 

Remember it's brand new.

 

Stay Cozy, 

A Boy and a Cat...

The neighbor's cat decided to pay a visit to my grandson

when they were moving into their new home. 

The visit began with a shared view out the window.

From there it was outside to the patio where they said hello.

"Eye to Eye" 

As little Van pulled up a chair to get a closer look, Chole the cat

reacted with a submissive pose. And then...

 ♥  They're friends  ♥

 

                                                             Loving this cozy embrace, 

Carrie

A book is a gift you can open again and again...

Since my grandson is turning three in August, I thought I would climb up in the attic and bring down some of my vintage books. They are filled with delightful illustrations page after page.

♥ Many vintage books had illustrators that have become very well known for 

their incredible work...such as this one illustrated by Eloise Wilkin! ♥

This timeless classic, featuring some of Eloise's best artwork, will delight little ones and their families as much as it did when it was originally published in 1960

♥ How cute is this little "Blondie"?  ♥

This precious book celebrates 73 years this year!

For sixty years children have been captivated by this classic story of Mary and her dolls. Mary's father was a sea captain who took long trips across the ocean, bringing back a doll from each journey. Soon Mary had six dolls and wished for a seventh one to become her Sunday doll. But Mary's father said six dolls were enough for any girl, so she set off to visit the Dollmaker and, oh, was she in for a surprise!

Remember the "Bobbsey Twins" and the "Five Little Peppers"

 My sister, Diane from Saturday Finds and I loved ♥ these books.

The Five Little Peppers covers the lives of the five children in their native state and develops with their rescue by a wealthy gentleman who takes an interest in the family.

♥ Just in time for Easter ♥

♥ These are mini "Golden Books" ♥

Perfect for tiny little hands.

Books are the best...holding a child on your lap and sharing a book together ...

even better!

Stay Cozy and read a book,

Carrie

A quick share...

 I picked these up at Costco a few months ago and they have truly been a life changer

 for removing my make-up in the evening!  

I just wet one of the soft little cloths in warm water and wipe my make-up away.

 That's all there is to it. At the end of the week I put the used ones in the zipper bag,

 throw them in the laundry, and they come out perfectly clean ready to be used again. 

. 

And I save money and waste by no longer using those throw-away

 pads and make-up wipes.

Just look at some of the fun colors they come in!

Stay Cozy,