
I’m going to start with an introduction.
Kind of odd when I’ve been using this website for the past several years, but when you consider how many times I’ve changed the direction of this site, it makes more sense.
I’m Charla. I live in beautiful Central Florida with my husband of 16 years and my three children: my daughters are now teenagers and my son is 11.
Charm Box Studios used to be my dance photography business, but in spring of 2019 I realized studio work was sucking all the joy out of me. So I retired.
(this is nothing new. I retired from being a classroom teacher at the age of 24. It (almost) doesn’t bother me that my mom refers to me as “retired teacher.”)
So what am I doing now?
That’s a great question.
I’ve spent the past several months trying to figure out what I want to do with my life now.
My sweet husband, who knows more about me than I know about myself, mentioned the other day that writing was something that got me out of bed in the morning.
He’s right. I used to get up at 5 a.m. to write.
I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo several times. One of those books is on Amazon, and another is waiting for me to be brave and getting that one published too. A third I haven’t even gone back and re-read, though the kids think it’s amazing so I really should get on that.
So this is me, getting back into writing. With no idea where it will take me.

What will I do with this space?
I’ll chat about things I’ve learned or am learning. Don’t expect me to be an expert, because I’m not. I have a lot of topics I know a bit about, so I’m going to share what I’ve discovered.
More importantly, I’m going to use this space to be encouraging. Uplifting. Positive.
I’m an Enneagram 2 (I’ll write about that more very soon). Basically, that means I am happiest when I’m helping others get happier. So this place may challenge you once in awhile, but mostly it will be a place where I can let my little light shine. (you’re welcome for getting that Sunday School song stuck in your head. If you want a great updated version, which might just happen to have my children singing, check out Jeduthun Kids’ “Let My Light Shine.”)
Wish you knew what I thought about a topic? Feel free to drop me a line and suggest things I could discuss here. (charla@charmboxstudios.com ) I would love to hear what you think, too!
I’m going to leave comments closed on my blog posts, because nothing is more depressing than seeing a bunch of “0 comments,” and I detest having to delete spam. So write to me if you’d like to give me your feedback!