Reviving Charm - a new blog and new adventure

If you read any of the previous posts then you already know that it was started around one of the darkest hours of my life.  I have had a lot of life changes...adjusting to a new normal, in a new home and with new adventures. Life is getting back on track.  With that being said, I have decided to close down this blog. With so much of my life "starting over" I decided my blog also needed a fresh start. My new blog has a new name, a new look and a different perspective focusing on charming style related tidbits related to design, architecture, food and travel. 

Thank you to my followers. I do hope you visit my new blog, "Reviving Charm" and join me on my new adventures at:  www.revivingcharm.wordpress.com

I'm up to something...

                                   





This roller coaster of a year has really made me reflect on life, love, family, and friendships. I posted a while back about how I was pondering the direction of this blog. I have to admit, I have never really been happy with it. I knew this blog wasn't the best it could be.  It wasn't going in the right direction. I could easily try to amp it up, change things, get it back on track but I realize that this is not where my heart lies. Due to circumstances, my vision was clouded and my blog neglected.  But I want to say thank you to the readers who stuck in there with me. I appreciate it more than you will ever know. 

I have always been a creative person. In love with all things design related: fashion, interiors, art, etc. Over the past few months I realized that I will always need a creative outlet in my life. I have something planned, a huge transition of sorts. I will still be maintaining a blog, but it will transition into something so much more. Get ready, I'm up to something, and I hope you will follow along with me.

I absolutely love the new logo that was created for my new endeavor. It's modern, fresh, and feminine.  And it features my favorite color magenta (isn't is a happy color?!) and my real initials. No more hiding behind the mysterious "Mrs. B.".  The "B" actually stands for my married name, had I actually changed it! So, I'm coming out of the closet, so to speak, to let you know who I am and what I will be up to. It will be fun, creative, and beautiful...so stay tuned. In the meantime, I will still continue to post here, albeit sporadically, until the new project is ready to be unveiled in the next few months.

A Private Moment....

I had my first hug from Mr. B since March 1.
It was heavenly....
And when I started to pull away he said "come back", hugged me again and kissed me.
I rested my head on his chest as he lay in his hospital bed and let him hug me again.
He melted my heart....

Today was a wonderful day....

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I want to say thank you to all those who have shown me so much love and support while Mr. B has been in the hospital. The calls, emails, and personal visits have meant so much...thank you, my dear friends. It means more than you'll ever know...

Retail Therapy

As you can imagine from my previous post, to say that I am stressed is an understatement.  So after leaving my daily visit to the hospital this evening, I stopped off to grab some Chipotle take-out for dinner and headed into the HomeGoods store across the parking lot for a little retail therapy. It was well worth the trip because I scored a fabulous Ralph Lauren tufted ottoman from the Avalon Collection.  I am giddy with excitement. It retails for $879; I paid $299.  I have a perfect place for it in the living room which is the next room I will be working on after I finish the bedroom. I have a plan for it already in place!

I obviously wasn't planning on buying any furniture tonight so I kept my fingers crossed hoping that the darn thing would fit in the front seat of my BMW.  It barely fit.  If it were one inch larger, I probably would have had to tie it to the roof of the car! The pictures look pathetic, I know, but I had to use my camera phone.

On the Ralph Lauren website the Avalon Cocktail Ottoman is shown in two colors: the soft blue/grey (which I purchased) and a beautiful sunflower yellow.

I interrupt this program....

Sorry for the silence, dear readers. When I started this blog I had good intentions. Really, I did. Please keep reading....because I have a challenge for you!

Several years ago I started a separate blog that focused on travel, home decor and fashion. I loved it. And my readership and subscription level was successful by my standards.  My day job is rather uncreative at times and the blog was the perfect way to let my creative expression shine through.  Sounds cliche, but true.  However, the blog turned into a lot of work. The dreaded four letter word "WORK".  Sourcing images and coming up with new and creative topics can, at times, be challenging particularly with a full-time job and a two hour daily commute. After much thought I decided to stop that particular blog to relieve myself of the added stress it became. I wanted it to be fun not stressful. 

Fast forward to late Fall 2010. I was walking along the beach with Mr. B one sunny morning and we were discussing blogs. He has always been so supportive of my blogs...and any other crazy endeavor I come up with.  He is absolutely my biggest fan. And it was during this time together that I decided I was going to start blogging again. However, what I soon realized is that timing is everything. Shortly after I started my new blog, Dining and Decor, I had minor surgery. Once I recovered, I cared for my mother who also needed surgery. Then Mr. B became critically ill. From that point on my blog came to a screeching halt. Actually, my entire life came to a screeching halt. No exaggeration.  Although I have taken a long pause from blogging, I continue to sit at Mr. B's beside with pen and paper at hand. Old school, I guess.  But I began to journal the ups and downs of his ordeal and what my daily life has become as he lay in the hospital fighting for his dear life.  He has been on death's door on more than one occasion.  His ups and downs are my good and bad days. And my little green spiral bound journal is a good way to capture those moments of time while sharing the darkest hours of our lives together.  Throughout this ordeal, I have had a tremendous amount of support from family and friends. My relationships have grown deeper and fonder with my loved ones.  And with some, I have had to break off relationships spanning approximately 20 years. An easy decision, really.  Because what I realized during this extremely difficult time is that I need to be surrounded by emotionally healthy and supportive people who can give a little of themselves to help a friend when they most need it. Enough said.

What I learned through the bedside journaling is how therapeutic it has been. And for some odd reason, it made me think of my blog.  Do I discontinue it and forget about blogging? Maybe take it in a new direction?  Maybe not?  Do I just start over from scratch? A clean slate so to speak.  

This entire ordeal has forever changed my life. And something good will come out of it. I just know it...

Have you gone through a life altering ordeal? Have you had to break off friendships? Have you taken another fork in the road by circumstance,  chance, or by conscience decision? Dear readers, I have a challenge for you...chime in on today's post or email me. I dare you.  And I challenge you to forward this to those you know.  I would love to hear your thoughts...