Aug 20, 2009

Brown Sugar + Lemons

That's my secret for the best Lemonade, and maybe a handful of strawberries or raspberries! If you don't mind your lemonade having a tea-like color, lemonade and brown sugar is wonderful!



Directions:

Juice of 5-6 lemons, (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 pitcher half full with cold water

1. boil 1/2 cup water and brown sugar, stirring until sugar has melted and let cool

2. Add lemon juice and sugar syrup to the pitcher of cold water. Stir to combine

** You can add more or less, sugar and lemon juice depending on your personal taste. I always add extra sugar, because I like everything to be on the sweet side. Peter and Alaina like their lemonade to be a little sour. Life's a compromise!

Try adding in some extras like strawberries, sprigs of lavender from the garden, ice-tea or raspberries. The perfect drink for hot summer afternoons!!

Aug 14, 2009

sweet distractions

Did you see the giveaway on the SEI blog? Who doesn't love the chance to win cute scrapbook stuff!!

One of my favorite photos from this week.



I was doing laundry, and then got a little distracted by a stack of pretty books and warm lighting. A girl can daydream right? and I started to update my shop!! So many ideas and so little time. I'll be working on updating my store all weekend.


Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend planned! I think mine will include lots of swimming and watermelon! xo~ Tara

Aug 10, 2009

Let's Talk Orchids

This post is for Jessica in Utah, who asked if I had any tips about growing orchids, which I just happen to!



I adore flowers, but was not graced with a green thumb. Quite the opposite actually, as I can't keep any flower or plant alive for more than just a day a two, at best. With the rare exception of orchids. Go figure! I now have a little collection of orchids that I've received as gifts over the past 5 or 6 years. Here's some notes I've made on how I keep my orchids alive, growing and re-blooming.

1. I keep my orchids on a table next to a window, where they have lots of indirect sunlight all day.

2. I only water my orchids once a week in the winter, and once every 5 days in the summer. (I'm convinced that my orchids don't like getting water on their leaves, so if I spill any water on them, I dabbed it off with a paper towel. My daughter likes to tell me 'it's because they are sensitive' :)

3. How much water? I use 2-3 oz. of room temperature tap water for the small orchids, and 3-4 oz. of water for the larger orchids.

4. My orchids only bloom once a year, however, they grow lots of new roots and leaves in between blooming. I keep their leaves clean by taking a lightly damp cloth and wiping any dust away. *I also remove any leaves that have turned yellow too*



It really is that easy! I think keeping orchids on a consistent watering schedule is key, and finding an indirect-sunny location for them will insure orchid growing success. It has for me! (The photos are of Alaina's orchid from this past Spring, the flowers are gone, but it has since grown 2 new roots and 1 leaf!)

Happy Orchid Keeping! xo ~ Tara

Aug 6, 2009

want to spend a week with me?

Next week I'll be packing my suitcase and spending the entire week on the SEI blog !!




Come join me for lots of photos, new projects, a birthday cupcake or two and a giveaway at the end of the week!! Hope to see you there! xo~ T

Aug 5, 2009

back to school,

means back to school shopping! I think I might have had more fun shopping for the long list of art supplies than Alaina did.



Alaina had a back-to-school night tonight. She passed an early entrance exam back in June, to start school a year early, so our little 4 year old starts Kindergarten this Thursday. She's so excited, and so ready. I know ever parent says it, but the time really did go by so fast. Alaina got to meet her teacher, art teacher, and her music teacher. She is especially thrilled to be taking a real music class. We came home and she wanted to know where my trumpet was. I got it out, oiled the valves (the heat really does a number to my poor brass and woodwind instruments) and started playing. Lainy could actually make some noise, pretty impressive considering how much air it takes to make loud low notes. So proud of her!

Is everyone ready for back to school?!! For summer to be over? Are you dreaming of Fall already? yes, yes and yes for me. Sweet dreams! xo- T

Aug 1, 2009

blog party @ Shimelle.com!!

I was oh-so lucky to be invited to take part in the weekend long party going on at shimelle.com. blush*blush I got to play with the photography printables that are part of the Go To Press class, an online exclusively at TwoPeas in a Bucket. So here is my project! I created a set of tags using the printables. Super easy to print and use!! ** All of the printables for this project were printed onto Kraft cardstock.**



I just adore photo negatives, so when I saw that the printables included 2 sets in different sizes, I knew exactly how I wanted to use them! They are the perfect sizes for tags! Her class is all about stress free scrapbooking, which I think is super fabulous, because scrabooking shouldn't be hard or difficult!!! Just fun, easy and pretty!!!



My book is called Life Through a Double Lens, it's a photography journal about TTV photography. A place where I can include my photos and take notes, write down ideas and add to it as I go.





I also found my old box of actual negatives, and cut the edges to sew into some of my tags. Yes, I love my sewing machine! I sort of challenged myself to use the left overs from some projects that I've been working on this week, and because I never throw anything away, I had lots of little bits and pieces of paper and embellies. I'm such a pack rat! Every pretty little piece of paper got sewn onto a tag, until I was content with the overall look.





Hope you enjoyed the photos of my newest creation!! I'll be sharing more as I add my photos from this summer to it! xoxo~ T

it's a party!!



all weekend there is a party going on here lots of ideas, challenges and tutorials and some other fun things!! I'll be back tonight to show you the project I created for the party!