helloooo!

I am so bad. I meant to come back here last week but in the words of my daughter "you're busy, busy, busy. You have 2 kids," and you know what? It's true, I do have 2 kids. So, that's what I'm going to attribute my lack of blogging to. :) AND my baby started preschool this week! Little Chase is now in school, it's only been 2 days so both him and I are trying to transition ourselves into this new adventure. I wish I had photos to share, but sadly I don't. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with the camera on his 1st day and when I picked him up he immediately wanted to go home. No photo opts for us!

On the Crate Paper front, I created a few new projects, tutorials and layouts this month. It's always a good thing to be inspired..... and finding a little extra mojo doesn't hurt either. :)

I recycled this project, but I love the Random chipboard pieces from Crate. It was reason enough to re0create this canvas!

I loveeee these colors, it reminds me of a pretty shabby vintage Christmas. Everything used for this layout is Crate Papers new Peppermint collection. I may be trying to introduce an icy sea-foam blue into my holiday decor this year!

I've also done a couple of post's on gift wrapping recently. I've dubbed them "Crate Scraps to Gift-wrap." You can check out of my 5 simple must haves for a lovely gift in this post!

and if you need some ideas for Holiday gift wrap click here for my Crate Paper post!

and after all that, I still have one more Crate layout to share later this week, but here's a peek. :)

Ok, so that should bring me up to date with the creative happenings of this past week. whew~ that was quite the post! I need to run to the grocery store and then onto Starbucks for a quick pumpkin latte before dinner! Happy Wednesday all!

Crate: my home

First off, thank you for the all the positive thoughts, prayers and kind words and even though some of them made me cry, I still really appreciate the thought.

You know when you experience something on a large scale, and you know you're never going to be the same again? and yet, you also know that you have to put on a smile, muster up enough grace to get through each coming day (even if you don't have the energy to change out of your pjs) and be the wonder mommy and wife you need to be for everyone? Well, that right now, is me. I find it very peculiar how something so life altering for me could have happened not even 2 weeks ago and realistically my everyday life is much the same as it was. I don't really understand how it's possible.

So, for the past 2 weeks, I have done almost nothing on the creative front. I knew I had to prepare Crate Paper's monthly challenge post for the blog and yet I've felt anything but inspired lately. I had already chosen the word Home for the challenge and like most of my work, I just wanted to create something light hearted and simple. It was a good thought in theory but I just wasn't that into it. And then a really simple idea came to me, I'd write my grandparents a letter.



Simple and maybe not quite as lighthearted as I would have liked but this layout came together in just an hour and for the "home" theme it was perfect.





If you feel like scrapbooking this week/weekend check out my challenge here.

I'll be in and out this week, I have a bunch of projects I've completed for Crate paper that I wanted to post and I really do want to get back to creating, I just need to carve out some time! xo ~ T

on hold

I stayed up late last night, trying my best to sort through the overwhelming grief and disbelief that comes from loosing a loved one. Not just a family member but my 2nd Mom, and now the day after her passing I'm met with the surrealness that even though my world feels as if it has stopped, the world outside continues on as if nothing has happened and I sit here wondering how that's possible. Why is death so final? Having lost both my grandparents within the past 10 months, I think the day after is the worst. Having to wake up with the realization that from that moment on, my life with that person will cease to continue. The idea that if I call their phone number, no one will be there to answer. I of course have 30 years of memories and photos but some how, today, it doesn't seem to be enough.

Good bye to the most wonderful grandmother I could have asked for. I will miss you forever.

I'm taking the rest of the weekend off. Peter's parents are on their way down from California and I promised the kids that we'd spend the weekend together.

summer photos

I decided today called for some summery photos. I've been busily working away on a couple of Christmas projects at the moment. Presents have been wrapped and photographed and now it's time for a little break and some lunch!!

Happy summer-time!

8 things I love: Saturday

Plus a few extra things!

weekend away by taraanderson featuring hair bow accessories

I'm taking the kids to California next month for an extended weekend. Lots of walking, photo taking and hanging out with friends and family! fun-fun. So, I've been planning out what to pack already... I know, I am so dorky but what can I say, I like clothes!!

the colors of September

It seems the more time I spend at Crate Paper, the less I post here. The Crate Paper blog has taken over! I really need to work on finding a good balance because I don't know how other's are able to manage 2 blogs. It's not easy - 2 posts in one week! whew!!! I just posted my Color Challenge for Sept. on the..... I'll warn you though, it's really pretty and you're probably going to want to contribute to the challenge this month! ok go ahead and click on the link -----> Crate blog.

This months color palette was inspire by the lovely Napa Valley. Have you ever had the chance to visit Napa during Autumn? I use to pass through Napa often, on my way out to the ocean for the day and was always taken aback by the changing landscape. Sometimes the vineyards in Fall would glow a coral-orange color and the hillsides would turn a purpleish-red in the shadows. It's one of those places you'd have to see for yourself to really appreciate.

Here's our color combination:

I created 2 layouts this time around. I actually made a 3rd project but decided to save it and post it later this month. I clearly have too much fun with these challenges!

(pie-charts are my new love!)

ok, so that brings us up to date with the challenge! I've spent the entire week scrapbooking, I'm thinking I deserve to take the weekend off. There's fun to be had and some summer sales at the mall to check out. Happy Friday!

8 things I love: Saturday

it's Saturday, woo-hoo!! Here's what I've lovingly deemed the weekend-mommy-uniform. :) It's just the kids and I here this weekend, Peter has ditched us for a convention in town, which is completely ok with me! It's actually much too hot to be out and about this weekend and Alaina really wanted to have a craft date today. I'm also pretty positive we'll be making a date with our pool later on. :) Here's to lazy weekends!

weekend shopping by taraanderson featuring sheer scarves

1. White t-shirts
2. Worn blue Jeans!!!
3. cute scarfs
4. floral cocktail rings
5. gold cuff bracelets
6. casual tote bags
7. flat Skechers
8. tinted lip gloss

Summer Tea

Back in the mid 80's my family moved us across country from soggy Washington to beautiful Selma, Alabama and so started my obsession with iced sweet tea. I don't remember much of Selma, just a couple of random things, one being a local restaurant that served iced tea in these massive (to a 4 yr. old mind you) mason jars. Seriously though, how could anything served in a mason jar not be good?

Now decades later I have my own collection of mason jars and have made, what I think to be, the perfect tea concoction! During the summer months, when fruit is at it's best, I'll play around with different combinations of fruity teas. There's white tea & honeydew, jasmine tea & blueberries and my personal favorite: nectarine & mint tea.

Here's my take on an ode to the south sweet tea!

Nectarine Mint Sweet Tea


you'll need:
6 cups water
2 tea bags
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1 bunch mint leaves
3 nectarines
4 cups ice


directions
1. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar with 1.3 cup of water. Bring to a slow boil and stir often until the brown sugar has completely dissolved. Let the syrup cool to room temperature.


2. In a large kettle, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Remove heat and steep 2 tea bags. Let the tea cool to room temperature.


3. While syrup and tea are cooling, rinse and cut nectarines.


4. Once the tea has cooled, add tea, syrup, nectarines and mint to a large pitcher. Store in the refrigerator. I tend to think the tea is better after 'resting' for a day in the fridge.

Hope you are having a lovely Friday!!

New Crate Challenge

Did you happen to catch my latest post on the Crate Paper blog? I'll be hosting a 2nd monthly challenge for Crate Paper. The concept for this monthly challenge is really simple, in fact the name of the challenge basically gives it away: Crate Everyday!! You can read more about the challenge, rules and the amazing prize (2 Crate collections of your choice!!) on the Crate Blog.

Essentially this challenge will be centered around an everyday idea in the form of a prompt and it's up to you on how you'd like to interpret each prompt. Easy enough right? Since this was the debut challenge, I thought I'd kick off this month's prompt with the word Routine.

I created this mini album, using Crate's Accent cuts, about 10 simple things i do everyday. (I love projects that read like a list!)

I also created a layout for the challenge. I hate to admit this but I am the worst grumpy person ever in the mornings. I try to attribute my CMG (chronic morning grumpiness) on a number of things, however, I'm starting to believe that I am just not meant to be a morning person. This page is my "morning confession from a night owl" layout. :)

If you enjoy challenges where you are more "creatively free" this challenge will hopefully be to your liking. If your like me and like some sort of definitive restraints to the challenges you contribute to, hopefully you'll join me for my monthly color challenge! Thanks for stopping bu today! xo~ T