Book Review – Cozy White Cottage: 100 Ways to Love the Feeling of Being Home

I recently bought up the book “Cozy White Cottage: 100 Ways to Love the Feeling of Being Home” and I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. As someone who loves all things home decor and DIY, this book was right up my alley. From the moment I opened the cover, I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful photography and warm, inviting feel of the book.

Liz Marie Galvan, the author and popular blogger, shares her best home decor and design tips in a way that feels real, easy, and affordable. I appreciated her focus on making the most out of your home, regardless of the budget you’re working with. The book is filled with practical and functional ideas that can be applied to every room in your house, and I found myself taking notes and jotting down ideas as I read.

One of the things I loved about the book was the focus on creating a cozy atmosphere in every room. Liz shares tips on how to make a workspace more inspiring and productive, how to arrange a living room to encourage conversation and connection, and how to create a warm and inviting space for guests. She also highlights the importance of quiet spaces for rest and rejuvenation, playrooms for laughter and learning, and the kitchen as the heart of the home.

The book is filled with simple DIY projects for every room, which I found particularly helpful. Whether you’re a seasoned DIY-er or just starting out, there’s something in this book for everyone. From budget-friendly hints for decorating to tips for creating a cozy and functional workspace, Liz has thought of it all.

I also appreciated Liz’s focus on the power of the home to bring joy and happiness. She writes about the importance of implementing calming routines and rituals into our spaces and our lives, and how the right design choices can bring more laughter, joy, and learning into our homes.

Get the book here: Cozy White Cottage: 100 Ways to Love the Feeling of Being Home

I was recently approached by Alyssa, the cross stitcher behind the Etsy shop Stitchonomy, to take a look at her cross stitch pattern subscription club, known as The Pattern Club.

I took a look around and there’s a lot of cute stuff and fun options you’ll want to check out, especially if you love themed patterns that are small, easy to stitch and fun to combine.

The Pattern Club combines cross stitching with a social network. When you open the site you’ll see a news feed and have the ability to share updates much like you would on Facebook. You can see who is online, have buddies and post your own updates and photos. The community aspect is a little sparse right now but that should only grow.

The stitch along hub is the place to find the most recent patterns and information on the current stitchalong. As of this writing the Book Lover’s stitchalong was happening, with little designs like Peter Rabbit, a skull for Hamlet and keys for Jane Eyre as well as authors including Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.

Other pattern collections include European designs, Halloween, ocean life, an allotment garden and more. Alyssa tells me there’s a new theme every month that either she picks or members in the community suggest. You can stitch just the patterns you want or put them together to make a larger collage.

The Stitchanomini vault gives you access to all of the previous patterns, and new patterns are released daily through the stitchalong. You can download individual patterns (most of them are 19 by 19 stitches) as PDFs or Pattern Keeper files. The PDFs include a color and black and white chart as well as a floss list.

Another cool thing you can do is build your own pattern collages from all of the squares that have been released. The collage configurator allows you to add patterns of your choosing to a grid ranging from 2×2 patterns up to 4×4. You can scroll through all the current patterns or search by theme and size to make a project that suits your needs. (Above is an example I made kind of at random but you get the idea.)

If you want to check it out, you can grab a three-day free trial and see all the pattern options. Membership is $7.99 a month, or if you pay for a year at a time you’ll get two months free. In addition to the patterns in the club, members receive discounts on patterns and supplies purchased through the shop within the club. Annual members get access to three paid/retired stitchalongs and lifetime members receive all retired patterns.

If you check it out I’d love to hear what you think!

Have you read?