The Cozy Issue

How often do we find ourselves longing for a cozy day at home, curled up in our softest blanket, gazing out the window while the rain pours down? We long for an evening spent at home with our friends, enjoying a meal that’s roasted in the oven all day. We spend the colder months in search of all things cozy. While working on Bella Grace over the past few years, we noticed a trend. Our readers love to be cozy. They love slowing life down a little, donning their most comfortable attire, and hunkering down for winter. We learned of the concept of hygge, which is a concept put forth by the Danes as a way to get through the gray days of winter. It involves slowing down and living…

The Danes created hygge to help them cope with long, cold winters where days are blanketed in darkness for up to 17 hours at a time! “Hygge is the Danish concept of coziness … the art of creating warmth, comfort, and well being through connection, treasuring the moment, and surrounding yourself with things you love.”—Pia Edberg Hygge means curling up with a good book and a hot cup of tea under a comfy blanket. As I’ve been reading “The Cozy Life: Rediscover the Joy of the Simple Things Through the Danish Concept of Hygge” by Pia Edberg (Pia Edberg, 2016), I’m struck by the many similarities between things that are soothing to highly sensitive people and the concepts of hygge. No wonder Denmark is known as one of the happiest…

Oftentimes, a stigma accompanies a bachelorette party — dancing, clubbing, and an excessive amount of drinking. But what about the bride who wants a low-key and relaxing weekend getaway? Not very often are brides able to find fun ideas for an alternative type of party. The decision was made to throw a bachelorette party to break some of the rules and help the bride who wanted something a bit more casual — just to hang with her best girlfriends and get comfy and cozy. So we dreamt up a fun weekend trip at an incredible three-story cabin in Big Bear, California. CarlyRae Weddings and Katie Pritchard Photography did an incredible job in executing this bash! Wedding planning can be stressful, and oftentimes brides find themselves longing for a weekend away…

Sweaters come and sweaters go, but my shawls shall remain. Fickle fashion dictates what’s out and what’s in, but shawls are classic and here forever. My clothing size goes up and down (more up than down), but my shawls always fit. I wear a shawl when I am reading, when I am meditating, when I am napping, when I am watching TV, and when I am writing. I wear a shawl over jeans and a turtleneck, over pajamas instead of a robe, and sometimes I even wear one when I get dressed up and go out for an evening. When we flew to Paris one year, I created a cozy and quiet space for the overnight trip in my cramped window seat by wrapping myself in a shawl: instant comfort.…

Outside it’s sleeting; I hear it ping-ponging on my deck. My mood is fragmented like the weather. I linger on my couch, tucked and folded like origami, in a pilly oatmeal-colored throw, wishing to escape my reality. Cabin fever has settled in as the local weather forecast warns everyone who is listening to stay off the roads. Sleet will turn to snow — and lots of it. I go to my kitchen and notice the butterfly magnet on my fridge. Glancing at it reminds me that I need to transform my thoughts and allow my imagination a chance to soar. My soul needs a life preserver, something to cling to — an idea, a new recipe — something to keep my spirit afloat. Ideas are the wings that change my…

Welcome to winter, all 89 cozy days of it. Cold weather offers us tiny quiet moments of warmth and comfort. This is a time to snuggle into flannel blankets in front of roaring fires, no matter what the calendar demands or how early the alarm blares. A time set aside for traditions both old and new. For activities that warm our hearts as well as our mitten-covered hands. And for hot apple cider. There’s always timefor hot apple cider. Here is a list of one activity for every cozy day of the winter season. 1. Wear fuzzy slippers and drink champagne 2. Make construction-paper stars 3. Sip homemade hot chocolate 4. Collect pinecones 5. Have a movie marathon 6. Watch the snow fall 7. Wear a flannel shirt … 8.…