☀️ A Summer That Didn't Go to Plan (But Was Still Kinda Perfect?)

Oh yeah...and a new kitten!

Hey friends,

So…remember when I said I was going to be super productive this summer? Yeah. About that. 😂

Somehow it's already the last week of my summer break, and instead of checking off every single goal I wrote in my planner, I've been living in a whirlwind of coughs, cuddles, yarn, car shopping, and unexpected chaos. Life has been lifing hard, but it’s also been full of joy, growth, and lots of books. 💛

Here’s what I’ve actually been up to:

🧶 I learned how to crochet! With the sweetest new friend. I’ve made progress with an adorable Octopus (all I need to do is finish three more legs!), and now I keep dreaming of cozy projects I definitely don’t have time for.

A Crochet Octopus

👦🏻👶🏻 I kept the boys home one day a week so we could actually have a summer together. We made messy crafts, read books, had water balloon fights, and watched way too many cartoons. It was chaotic. It was perfect.

📖 I reread and started editing my sweet romance The One Who Stayed. I fell in love with Claire and Luke all over again, and now I’m polishing it up and getting ready for beta readers! (Want to be one? Fill out this quick form! ← Update with actual form link!)

✏️ I’m 10,000 words into book two of the Literary Stitches series. Not exactly where I hoped to be by now, but I’m trying to remember that forward is forward. And Addie’s next adventure is going to be worth the wait.

📸 Did I film all the videos I planned? Absolutely not.
📝 Did I write all the blog posts I dreamed of? Also no.
🧼 Did I survive sick kiddos, buy a new car for my husband, and keep everyone alive through summer madness? YES. Gold star for me.

🌄 Our family trip to Branson, Missouri this past weekend was a highlight. The boys had the best time at Silver Dollar City—riding their first rides, splashing in the pool, staying up late, and living their best hotel life. 10/10 memories made.

Oh! And the biggest update of all? We adopted this perfect little fluffball:

Meet Penelope 🐾—our newest family member and feline chaos coordinator. She’s tiny, spunky, and absolutely obsessed with being near us. We’re all completely in love.

Penelope- The Kitten

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📚 Books I Read This Summer (Because I have been crushing it in the reading department):

June:

• Cutie Pies and Deadly Lies – ⭐⭐

• Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• A Box Full of Murders – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- Available for order from England

• Murder Takes a Vacation – ⭐⭐⭐✨

• The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland... – ⭐⭐⭐

• Murder at the Bee Farm – ⭐⭐⭐

• Shady Hollow – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

July:

• Warped on a Moon Trek – ⭐⭐⭐✨

• Life Derailed – ⭐⭐⭐✨

• The Retirement Plan – ⭐⭐⭐✨

• I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

• A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• The Dead of Winter – ⭐⭐⭐

• Christmas Corpse for book club!- ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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📝 What’s coming next:

📌 Final week of summer = massive to-do list energy.

• I’m adding all my edits to The One Who Stayed and preparing for beta readers (again—sign up here if you're interested!)

• Trying to get more words written in Book 2 of Literary Stitches.

• Filming some YouTube videos because August is right around the corner.

• Oh—and a quick note that our Cozy Escape Book Club will be taking a one-month break while I transition back to work. I’ll miss chatting books with y’all, but we’ll be back in September, cozier than ever. 💕

Thanks for being here, for reading my rambly updates, and for giving me space to be a little bit messy and real. I hope your summer has been gentle, joyful, and full of unexpected magic—even if your to-do list also looks like it got hit by a tornado.

Sending love and iced coffee,
Courtny ☕💻📚