our Valentines Day

~ in photos! Yesterday ended up being super busy but I did manage to squeeze in a few photos throughout the day!

Valentines tablescape - there's some more photos of our table if you keep scrolling down.

Flowers from the little boy - he smelled all of the flowers before finally deciding on these ones. The sweet part about it is that these don't smell very nice. :))

Bruschetta is always a good choice, it's takes no time to make and looks pretty in a large glass jar!

The Shrimp Fettuccine was wonderful - you can't really go wrong with seafood, pasta and a creamy cheese sauce. I should post the recipe, it's so easy to whip up!

Chase and I had some time to make cupcakes and while they were baking I created these tiny flags with left-over Crate Paper scraps. I'm always looking for any excuse to use up extra paper!

These heart place-cards were a little project I made up for Crate Paper this week! I created a set of 4 heart shaped pockets with every one's initial on the front and sewed a lace/tulle pocket on the back to hold a small 'love-note' written to Peter and each of the kids. Just an extra detail that makes themed dinners so fun!

and I did, somehow, find a little bit of extra time to pull the sewing machine out and make some paper garlands for the kitchen. **the large butterflies are hand cut** I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon making something. I need to come up with a good idea by tomorrow so I can get it photographed by Friday! Nothing like a little pressure to get you moving - right? Happy half-way-through-the-week day!

Monday Menu

it's back! I've been playing with the idea of re-introducing this series of posts and today seems like the perfect Monday!

menu 2-13 by taraanderson featuring plastic jewelry

I'll start the menu for tomorrow since dinner tonight is already over with and it wasn't exciting enough to write about anyway. :)


Tuesday: Valentines Day!!
Shrimp Fettuccine with a Parmesan Cream sauce
Garden Salad
Bruschetta on grilled Sourdough
Chocolate Strawberries & Mini Cupcakes


Wednesday:
Pork Chops w/ pan seared apples
Mashed Potatoes
Garlic Green Beans
Garden Salad

Thursday:
Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches
Broccoli Salad

Friday:
Terriyaki Chicken Thighs
Brown Rice
Peas and toasted Almonds
Garden Salad

Saturday:
French Dip Sandwiches (I make mine in the slow cooker)
Coleslaw with Blue-cheese and poppy seeds

Sunday:
Garlic Herb Strip Steak
Caprese Salad
Roasted Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes (I typically hate potatoes but I made these last month while my sister was visiting and they were, by far, the best potato I've ever had! I hate them a little less now :))

** If you plan on posting your menu somewhere please leave me a link! I love to check out what other people are planning for dinner.... yah I'm kind of nosey like that. I have a very full day planned for tomorrow: Alaina's class play and then Valentines party, Chase's class party, I need to prep everything for dinner, make the desserts, make little-tiny flags for the cupcakes and sew a bunch of garlands for the kitchen, finish a science project with A and write up a post for the Crate blog..... whew! I'm so happy I work well under pressure - I probably shouldn't leave so many things for the last minute either..... Oh well, no one is perfect.

Happy Valentines Day to everyone! Hope your day is filled with pretty flowers, yummy candy and lots of love! xo ~ T

8 things I love: Saturday

. by taraanderson featuring bell bottom jeans

Popping in to say hi this morning!!! I made it through the week, a little more tired than usual, but at least it's the weekend. oh yay! I've plans to work on Alaina's science fair project all weekend and then the kids' Valentines cards for class parties this coming week. There is always something to do!

craft closet - finished.... almost

I'm happy to report that with each day I'm able to sort through and unpack a few more boxes at a time and the house is starting to look more like home and not like a crazy storage facility! I ended up getting sick and spending the entire first week, after we moved, in bed. All that time lost. So, I'm trying to play catch up now and nothing will get you moving faster than having unexpected guests needing to spend the weekend with you! Typically, I hate surprises. I need ALOT of time to adjust to changes but hearing from a good friend yesterday who needs to place to stay while recovering from a recent operation, I decided to put aside my typical freak-out reaction and rather hurry to get the house ready for guests tomorrow! I probably won't be posting much this weekend and throughout next week because of said guests. I imagine I will be spending the majority of my time cooking and cleaning for 3 extra people. I did always say I wanted a house big enough for lots of extra guests!!(I just didn't think it would happen 2 weeks after moving into a larger home :))

Chase and I have been running around putting things away this morning when I passed by my craft room and much to my amazement, it actually looks.... normal. Especially the closet! I got super lucky and have a large walk in closet - perfect for all my stuff! I'll be changing out some of the wire baskets for closed boxes and I still need to thin out my paper collection but I'll get there. Probably not this week but sometime soon I hope! I've also decided I'm in desperate need of a sewing table!

Ok, now back to cleaning house!!

Pretty Party with Crate Paper

hello - hello! I'm back but just making this a quick post today. I wanted to share a couple of projects that I made last week for the Crate Paper booth at CHA. Crate has created 2 new collections and I got a chance to play with the paper & chipboard from the Pretty Party line. It's so wonderfully girly and flowery and just perfect for Spring parties! If you pop over to the Crate Blog and leave a comment on my post today we're giving away one Pretty Party collection!

To go along with the party theme, I created a little party favor, invitation and some pretty confetti - Because I'm convinced confetti goes with everything!

I have my color challenge to prepare for this Friday and I seem to be running a tad bit behind with it. I'm slowly making progress getting the house unpacked but my craft room has been last on the list of things to-do. It's a slow process! xo ~T

8 things I love: Saturday

comfortable by taraanderson featuring leather shoes

The movers are already at the other house with the furniture so that gives me a few quick minutes to post. I'm doing it people, I'm wearing sweats in public. Normally sweats are only reserved for the day that I get out of the hospital but today I throw caution to the wind and wear them anyways! This moving stuff is serious business that requires the absolute most comfortable clothes ever. Sweats my friends, sweats.

xo ~ T

me & Cocoa Daisy

Due to the epic move set for this Saturday, this will most likely be my only scrapbook post for the month. So, I figured I'd better make it a good one! Way back in October I was asked to be a guest designer for Cocoa Daisy and even though December was a crazy busy month, I accepted the challenge. I think working with a kit is also a little more organized too because you only have so many things to work with and then that's it!

Here's what I made with their January main kit!

This layout was all about a strong title and stronger journaling and I just didn't feel that it needed a photo to support the over all feel. It wasn't meant to be a super cutesy layout. (Even though, when both my husband & my good friend saw this page they said the same thing! "Where's the photo?) This layout could not be more appropriate for this week!

I loved this floral paper - it's reminds me of pretty vintage wallpaper and yellow mixed with black and white stripes is always a hit in my book!

I had wanted to create some type of little mini list album and then decided on making one for Home lists. Everyone room in the new house has an index card that I can jot down items that are needed for that room. I think I've filled it since taking these photos over 2 weeks ago!

Had to scrapbook one of the kids' Christmas photos!

The Cocoa Daisy kit came with a package of Sassafras paper flowers (I loved those and was so happy to see them in a kit again!) Instead of just tossing the packaging that the flowers came with, I covered the little paper insert with paper and then sewed in lots of randomly cut pieces of graph and ledger paper. It made a good tiny notebook for keeping track of everything lately!

Well, there you have it! All my scrapbook stuff for the month in one place! I'm going back to packing this afternoon, movers are coming on Saturday and that's only 3 days away!! Wish me luck!

8 things I love: Saturday

just in time too!

black and white by taraanderson featuring a knotted bead necklace

Since my sister is here visiting & helping us to move, we've been playing dress up in my closet for the past 2 days. I use to love when she would come down because I'd get a chance to clean out the closet and I'd send her home with all my extra stuff. Double win! So far, I've sorted through jewelry, winter coats, clothes and purses, oh and makeup. It's good to have a little sister to share with! :)

taking a break

I'm taking a little break this afternoon. I have packed 10 boxes today. That's it? Only 10? Surely I've been able to accomplish more than just a measly 10 boxes. Even I was surprised to re-count and realize that no, 10 really is the magic number. Man.... packing is a total pain in the rear and where is all the cool stuff people are always exclaiming that they unearthed while packing? So far, I've found bupkiss - nada - nothing. Unless you believe finding a petrified scorpion, that met it's death in the corner of our garage, the find of the decade.... because I sure don't!

I crawled back into Peter's side of the bed this morning and told him to please wake me in exactly 11 days after we've moved into the new house. I want nothing more to do with the packing part of this move.

Ok, so when I say I've not found anything good, maybe that's an over exaggeration, I have found some fun forgotten stuff in the back of the bookcase and closet. Like my notebooks I wrote in back when Peter and I were first dating. It was cute skimming over their content. Nine years later here we are. :) I found photos I had forgotten about and more notebooks. I actually tossed 11 filled notebooks. I'm pretty proud of myself for that. I still have about 20 more notebooks that I think I may end up keeping. I also think I write too much.

I've been so lucky to have lived in the same house for the past 10 years. Must not forget that!

my top 9 of 2011

Happy New Year!

following with tradition - I'm posting my top 9 favorite projects from 2011. I think all but one of these projects were Crate Paper stuff. I worked alot with Crate last year and this year looks to be very much the same! I also realized how very little actual layouts I made :( I must make this more a priority this year.

I'm still working on a massive custom order.... I'm hoping today is the day that I wrap it all up. My to-do list is out of control and only continues to grow by the day! Time for some coffee and the first sewing fest of 2012!

ps. did you know the Rose Bowl parade isn't today? I always thought it was on New Years - so dissapointed this morning but I know what I'll be doing tomorrow!