Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!!



I’ve been meaning to share some of the little changes I’ve made around my house. I’m pretty excited about them. One in particular. But time has gotten away from me – again. Basketball season has started. Mix that with the fun of holiday planning, I could use an extra 6 hours a day! I promise to get to it very soon.

I don’t have to cook a turkey or host a houseful. I only have to bring a pumpkin cake to Thanksgiving Dinner. This gives me time to rest up for Black Friday! I’m a bargain hunter, so this is my day! The thrill of a deal cancels out my annoyance with large pushy crowds. Plus, I get to have a nice lunch out with my hubby and an afternoon at an antique store. So what could be better?

Hope you all have blessed and Happy Thanksgivings! Break out your most comfortable sneakers and I’ll see you at the malls on Friday!!

And if you need another yummy desert, here’s my recipe for pumpkin cake:

Pumpkin Cake

Put in a small bowl and mix well:

2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of salt

Mix together in a large bowl:

4 eggs
2 cups of sugar
(Beat eggs and sugar well)
1 cup of salad oil
(Beat well again)
Add to mixture 2 cups of pumpkin (or one small can)
Add dry ingredients and mix well

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes
(Check it often, because mine doesn’t take that long)


Awesome Icing

3 oz of Cream Cheese
1-¾ cups of powdered sugar
1 stick of margarine
½ teaspoon of vanilla


Oh, and a little hint about this cake – add some walnuts or pecan to the cake and on top of the icing. It’s delicious!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving From The Cozy Cottage!

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season has begun. And before it gets too hectic, treat yourself to a sweet little extra from The Cozy Cottage. And just to make it a little more sweet, take 25% off your order of $10.00 or more. Today only! Type in coupon code: FFMThanksgiving08

And don’t forget to visit the other fine shops at Friday Flea Market!




Monday, November 17, 2008

A Break From the Snow

We're getting a little break after last night's snow. My kids got a chuckle out of my laundry line this morning. It's usually above my head. Not today! And I don't think I'll be hanging any vintage tablecloths on it anytime soon!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Lake Effect Snow....

We’re getting hit with a doozie of a snow storm here off Lake Erie. In fact, we're getting a little thunder and lightening too.

This is my Japanese Maple. Kind of looks pretty.



And here is one of my Dogwoods. It’s almost touching the ground. Hubby will be out shortly to knock the snow off. I don’t want to loose this tree. It’s so beautiful in the spring!


Friday, November 14, 2008

Friday Flea Market!

Today I’m offering these charming vintage vanity items:

The first is a set of two petite hand mirrors.


To purchase, click picture



Also a cute little compact. Perfect for a young collector!



Click picture to purchase


And today only, your entire order from The Cozy Cottage is an additional 10% off! Just type in coupon code FFM1114 at the check out.


And don’t forget to visit all the wonderful blog sellers at Friday Flea Market!



Monday, November 10, 2008

Shabby Chic Christmas



Please check out the new Christmas listings at The Cozy Cottage

Saturday, November 8, 2008

A peek into the past.....sort of.....

My mother found a pile of old, old, family pictures. The most charming glimpse into our past. But only one problem, no one ever wrote on them who they are! Both my parents are only children. There are distant cousins we occasionally run into, but no one we can ask. Here is a beautiful woman. Not sure if she’s a relative or friend of the family, but she will have a special place on my wall very soon!



And this wedding party is fabulous! Oh the bouquets and the dresses!!! We don’t know who the bride and groom are, but fortunately we recognize my grandmother and grandfather. They are very young and since we have two copies of this picture (one for each of them), we think it was before their wedding. My grandma is in the top row, fourth from the left and my grandpa is to her left.




Lesson learned. Write dates and names on all pictures. I’m tempted to go though my wedding album right now. But something tells be that in 75 or more years, a wedding photo from the 1980’s is not going to as enchanting as one from the 1920’s is now!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

The first Friday Flea Market of November!

Today I’m offering these sweet vintage Christmas ornaments

The first is a set of three clip-on birds. Perfect for your feather tree!



To purchase, click picture



These are two cute and unusual acorn ornaments



Click picture to purchase


Two more clip-on bird ornaments for your Christmas tree!


Click picture to purchase

Please check out all the items at The Cozy Cottage this week!

And don’t forget to visit all the wonderful blog sellers at Friday Flea Market!



Monday, November 3, 2008

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month



I started this blog, not that long ago, to share my love of vintage items. It was never my intent that this would become a diabetes blog. But diabetes is a huge part of my life. With November being National Diabetes Awareness Month, I hope sharing our experience may help others.

In January of 2007, I began noticing my daughter, then 12 years old, always had a water bottle with her. Water was usually her drink of choice, so at first I didn’t think much of it. Always a picky eater, she usually skipped breakfast. Now she was eating toast and even finishing the crusts. She’d come home from school and down 5 or 6 bowls of cereal in one sitting. And still eat all her dinner and a huge nighttime snack.

It wasn’t until she was wrapped in a towel getting into the shower that I noticed how incredibly skinny she was. It was at this point I knew what we were dealing with. A quick google search confirmed my suspicions and the next morning I took her to see the pediatrician.

January 22, 2007. I will never, ever forget. My daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, an autoimmune disease where a person’s body attacks the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. The pancreas ceases to produce insulin that converts sugars to energy.

We quickly left the doctors office and were immediately admitted to the hospital. Her A1C hemoglobin was 14.7. This equates to a blood sugar average of more then 360 for the past three months. (normal blood sugar is 70 to 100) However the doctors felt she only had diabetes for a few weeks. That means her blood glucose numbers were incredibly high. We were blessed to get her to the hospital when we did.

At the hospital we learned to test her blood sugars, count carbohydrates, and give insulin injections. We stayed there for 5 days until her blood glucose was stable enough to go home.


Left untreated, this is a very serious, life threatening disease. Most people are admitted to the hospital at diagnosis with Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) which can lead to coma and then death. So please never brush off these symptoms. A person does not have to have all of them

Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes:

Increased thirst and frequent urination
Extreme hunger
Weight loss
Fatigue
Blurred vision
Sweet smelling breath


And again, Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease. No one knows for sure what makes the body attack the pancreas, but it’s most likely a combination of genetics and a virus. It is not caused by being overweight or by eating too much sugar. It can strike anyone at any age, from babies to older adults.

T1 Diabetics monitor their blood sugar many times a day. My daughter tests 10 to 15 times per day. We match her insulin intake to the amount of carbs she eats. Almost all of her food is weighed or measured. She can eat whatever she wants. Sugar is not a no-no. Just like everyone, it should be eaten in moderation. But insulin does not know the difference between the carbs in an apple or the carbs in a candy bar. Diet and exercise will not “cure” Type 1 diabetes. But it certainly helps the insulin to work better. Insulin is not a cure, but life support. Without it, Type 1 diabetics will die.

Type 1 diabetes can not be “controlled,” at best, it can be managed. You can do everything exactly the same from day to day, but never get the same result. That’s just the way the body responds. We have good days and bad days despite our best efforts. But my daughter is a strong, intelligent young woman who handles this all with more grace and dignity then her mom ever would. I’m so very proud of her. It’s a lousy, crappy disease, but it will not get her down. She is smart, pretty, flirty, strong, and one awesome basketball player. She just happens to have diabetes. It does not define her. She is my hero.