From Jen's Heart

Hi everyone!

As I prepare Curiosity Cottage for the next chapter of business development, I have decided to use my blog From Jen's Heart to continue my writings, and save Curiosity Cottage for my creative business endeavors.

So take a second and check it out!  What do you think???  Both sites have pages that will link you to the other page.

I look so forward to hearing your feedback!

Home Away From Home

Hi Everyone!

As we continue to get ready to take Curiosity Cottage into the Old Schoolhouse Antique Mall, lots of cleaning and sorting is taking place.  So it only seemed natural to start this new chapter of our business venture with an updated blog look too.

As I look at all of the amazing things that vendors have to offer at the mall, it makes getting all of our inventory together an exciting task, not just work. 

 What is so nice too is that the lady we will share our space with has the same type of style that is what makes up Curiosity Cottage.  This will allow us to enhance each others booth and give the room a really nice feel.

For now, we will continue the tasks at hand, knowing that in just a few short weeks a life long plan will be coming together.  Yes, this dream has been in the works for 23 years, but the lesson once again...when things happen in God's time, they ALWAYS turn out far better than we could have ever dreamed!

Stars & Stickers

Hi everyone!

I must admit, I am such a "Stars & Stickers" kind of girl.  This is why I enjoy going to my Weight Watcher's Meetings, versus only participating in the program online.  When Mary, our leader, gives me a star or "Bravo" sticker, you would have thought I had won the Nobel Peace Prize.

It is the simple things in life that make me smile.  Though I have to tell you, when I saw yesterday that Nothy Lane from Aft Agley had nominated me for a "Liebster Blogging Award" you would have thought it was an Oscar.

So the researcher in me then proceeded to do several things.  First I went to Nothy's blog to find out more and second I went to Google to find out more about the award.  Okay, so there is not a committee that decides to bestow this upon me, but the idea is really incredible.   It is designed to increase the number of followers that an up-and-coming blogger have on their site.  Since Nothy is from Canada & I am from Louisiana AND this nomination did not come from an immediate friend or family member, I am thrilled.  What a GREAT way to meet new people in the blogging community and broaden this online experience.

As any writer will admit, even if it is to themselves on a cold winter night, we all like to know that people like to read what we have written...that we are on the right track...that we just may be on to something with this writing stuff.  So I will keep you posted and let you know if Curiosity Cottage becomes a winner.

  

Curiosity Cottage's Home Away From Home

Good Morning Everyone!!

While the sun may not be up yet this morning, I am smiling from ear-to-ear and have a song in my heart, as if I was dancing in the midday sun!!  While Curiosity Cottage came into being in 2010, my desire for a shop and business started many, many years ago at about this same time of year in Germany.  A detail I had forgotten, until my dear friend Suzie, reminded me not long ago.

I just had to share and show you what is going to become Curiosity Cottage in just a few short weeks!!  

As Michael and I prepare to make these rooms into Curiosity Cottage, I am reminded of my past moves with the military.  With each of those moves I would turn spaces, that often looked very much like this new space, into a home.  

That is our goal and vision for this chapter of our lives.  When you visit our little corner of the world, we want you to feel like you have come home.  You can let us know how we do when we reveal the finished product in a few weeks!!

LOVE what YOU do

Hi everyone!

Well it has been a week since I last posted.  It isn't that I haven't been on my site, I actually have, but creating new things to reveal to the world!!  Monday I started teaching a new course "Blog Creation" and my textbooks center around using a blog to drive business.  In this economy, finding ways to drive business have NEVER been more important.

For me, spending the time to develop this class is not work, because I truly LOVE what I do!!  

 It is also important during these challenging economic times for us not to give up, but if need be find ways to reinvent ourselves and our businesses.

And it is my hope, as a teacher, to let people enjoy the beauty of the blogging world so that it might allow them to take their hopes, couple it with effort, and then allow them to achieve things beyond their wildest dreams!!

Stay tuned, exciting things are happening for my little Curiosity Cottage!!

Here Comes the Sun

Hi everyone,

After days of rain here in Louisiana, it is so very nice to see the sunshine today!!

However, it means so much more to me on this January morning.  After enduring months of trials, but hanging on to my faith like a little one and her security blanket, God showed Michael and I rays of sunshine yesterday, even in the midst of the earthly rain.

I was in such awe for the things He was doing for us, it gave me goosebumps and made me cry tears of relief and joy.

Though I have to admit, while I have always maintained my faith and obedience in both good times and bad, the past few months had really worn me down.

So when His blessing began to pour out for us, I could not help but feel ashamed, how could my faith have not been stronger...meaning, why did I let worry and fear take even a second of my joy away.

That is the beauty of the trails He sends our way, they help us to become stronger in our faith, character, and in the case of us being two newly weds, it just makes our new marriage stronger.

One of the things I have told Michael through this all, I would have faced different types of trials no matter what, but having a Helpmate to walk through these things with me now, well it makes the sunshine all the time, not just on one day in January!

A Candle in the Rain

Hi everyone!

Wow, I have not had a chance to write since November, not that I did not want to, sometimes the storms of life just seem to hit all at once.  It was just two weeks after my last post that my precious husband ended up in the hospital.  Now recovering from quite a long stay at the "Honeymoon Hospital", which I affectionately called this adventure since we had just gotten married on October 7th, all paths look to be headed back into the creative direction for me.  First up, my new little reversible dresses.  Here is one in progress.

  Add in writing again, which soothes my soul and other creative business ventures and it makes me realize that while life rains down at times, it will not let the candle light from my spirit go out.  So stay tuned, exciting new things to share in the days ahead!!