San Diego, positive thinking and some clothes

I am spending the day packing suitcases! Last summer my power of positive thinking won me a trip for 2 to San Diego, at a pretty hotel and a night time dinner/dance cruise. What's "power of positive thinking" you say? Let me explain. 

It's simple really, years ago I got into the habit of talking to myself, you know, when you're at home all day and your kids aren't really able to hold whole conversations, and you end up asking questions out loud and then you also answer them? Well, that was me. Except, as I would see something I'd like, or read about something I'd like to do, want to win..... etc. I would say it out loud and kind of picture it happening. It didn't take long before some of those random things that I wanted starting happening for me and I was slow to connect it and just thought that I had really good luck or it was a coincidence. But then, I'd say things like "I'd like to be on "xyz desing team" or "I'd like to win tickets to that concert" and a few weeks later I'd be merrily going about my morning routine checking my inbox and there would be an invitation to join the design team I wanted or an email telling me to pick up tickets I had won at the will-call booth. Too mnay good things were happening to just be a pure coincidence.  

Call it wishful thinking, or really good luck, I like to call it my power of positive thinking! Here's what it doesn't seem to work on though:

the lottery (don't bother, tried it, doesn't work)

major health issues (don't wait, go to the Dr.)

apparently it doesn't work either when you find a great house and the sellers back out

I'm sure there are other things, I just haven't wished for them yet :)

You have to be careful too. I use to say, I'd like to be published with "xyz magazine" and most of the time, invitations would show up and I was happy to be doing what I wanted. Like that time I said "I'd like to be in a particular blogging magazine" and then when I got the email, I realized it was alot of work and I didn't really want to do it, I just wanted to be asked to contribute. (There's a big difference!) So, be careful of what you wish for, I think I wasted a 'wish' with that magazine when I could have used it for something else! 

Back to San Diego. Last summer one of the radio stations was holding an online contest, a weekend hotel getaway, plus some other cool stuff but odds of winning - not so good. You could only enter once but that isn't a problem when you use some positive thinking. I said outloud 'I'd like to win and go to San Diego' (who wouldn't right? but mainly because Peter and I both have never been - and we call ourselves Californians, shameful!) and then I forgot about it because the contest was open for like 3 months. So, I went about my summer and forgot about the contest. Until I got a call from the radio station saying I won. Positive thinking at it's finest. - and this isn't even the first vacation trip I've one either! I'm getting good at being positive!  

So here's what I'm packing along with a few cameras and a beach bag full of sand buckets, swim suits and bright colored beach towels! Oh yeah, instead of a romantic getaway for 2 we decided to bring the kids along and make it a family vacation!
                                   

weekend away by taraanderson featuring tory burch

Now, like I tell my friend Jessica, if you wish for something and it doesn't happen, it doesn't mean that you suck at positive thinking. I just tell myself, when something doesn't manifest the way I would have wanted, that 1. it wasn't meant to be or 2. I didn't really need it and I move on and try to stay in a positive frame of mind! 

You have to believe in order to achieve

- and that my friends, will be the cheesiest thing you will ever read on my blog

xo ~ Tara

a winner and a color combination

Hi there! Taking a little break here to announce the winner of my weekend giveaway! Thank you for all of your sweet comments, my tiny shop is one of my favorite hobbies! 

  The winner for the embellishment kit is: 

Nathalie said...

I am also going to throw my name is the hat because I love visiting here :) Your photos are always such beautiful works of art!

Thanks Nathalie for stopping by! Please drop me a line at rosas07@msn.com 

and since I don't like posts without at least one photo, here's a summery color combination. I'm getting ready for a mini-vacation this week and I am so looking forward to the beach, sunshine, hopefully a little cooler weather and the kids are hoping for seashells!! Here's to lovely weekend getaways! 

xo ~ Tara

Giveaway: from Citron Faire

Hello friends! In honor of getting my shop updated this week, I thought doing a little giveaway would be a perfect start to end the week - because I like Fridays and I like giveaways! Since it's almost summer and that means more time to scrapbook (we hope!) I thought making a sweet little embellishment kit might be fun to work with! 

To enter: 

just leave a comment below and I'll pick a winner on Monday (the 29th) morning and in the meantime have a wonderful weekend!  

Citron Faire, update

I have plans today to update my little shop with a new summer inspired collection of products! I was thinking about all of the things I love about summer and road-trips won out above everything else, so I designed and collected things that I thought fit that theme. There are combinations of flowers inspired by the southwest states, some fun touristy vintage items, a road-trip vintage paper kit, new scrapbook mini kits and little summer note/journals made from handkerchiefs. (So far, I think this is my favorite themed collection, I had so much fun with the photos!) 

and vintage fabric bundles are back too with new 'old' fabrics in springy pastels! Check back here on Friday, I have a little giveaway for the shop planned then! 

xo ~ Tara

water color garden

Chase and I did a little gardening yesterday afternoon! I had picked up a few new succulents for my patio and found this beauty. The leaves remind me a bit of a water color painting and I love the tiny pink tips! Spring is definitely here!  

sewing layers - (a work in progress)

I have a date with my sewing machine today - trying to finish up some projects that have been on the table all week. It's been such a strange week, with all the sad events throughout the country this week, I've been watching more tv than usual and I think sometimes you have to force yourself to turn the tv off and focus on something positive, otherwise it gets very overwhelming quickly. Today will be a tv free day just cds, old dusty records, maybe a little piano playing, lots of sewing and a little painting with Chase! Here's to a positive and productive Thursday! 

April Color Combo and a little Paper

Hi there! As promised, a scrappy share for Friday morning but first, a pretty color palette. 

If you've followed my blog for awhile now, it's likely you already know of my love for color combos! Every project starts with a combination of colors. I think it makes the creative process easier too, to only work within a certain combination, limits your choices but in a good way. - I actually find myself spending less time trying to decide on what papers and embellishments to use because I'm only interested in things that match with my color combination. I do this whenever I'm a guest designer and need to create alot of projects. 

Here's my color inspiration for April! 

I was asked to be their guest designer this month for Little Black Dress kit club. Since I don't subscribe to any kits, it's kind of fun to be able to play with a new one every now and then!  I made a few layouts, a couple of cards and a library mini tag book!

 

 

I also made a mini book with the Pebbles library cards and pockets that come with the main kit. Chase loves to draw little happy faces on everything, so I finally decided on saving a few and creating something to keep them in. It's his 'Happy Face' book!

Thanks for looking and have a lovely day! ~ Tara

an Afternoon in Tucson

I say this often, but I think it's worth repeating. Sometimes, stepping away from the computer, disengaging from things that take up our time and refocusing that extra time into more meaningful experiences can be renewing. Like a breathe of fresh air. Speaking of which, it's Spring here and with a very rainy Winter it created a very green Spring. A few weeks back a friend on Facebook posted this quote about the desert:

         "In order to find the desert beautiful, you have to have very small eyes."

That is a perfect way to describe life spent here in the desert where our terrain is sometimes hard to see past. I wish someone had pointed that out when I first moved to the Valley, it may have made the transition a tad smoother. :) Now though, I suppose because I passed the 10yr. mark and there appears to be no immediate plans to move out-of-state, I try to take in little details. The cactus buds getting ready to bloom, the tiny hummingbird nest near our front gate, even the way the air smells  in the evening while the golf course is being watered. I think when you stop to appreciate all the small things, much like stopping to smell the flowers, it makes time slow down a bit. 

In honor of Spring, I wanted to take the kids out exploring and we decided to take a day trip down to Tucson to visit the Sonoran Desert Museum. Basically a zoo of native Arizona animals/reptiles, mixed with a Botanical desert garden. It's nestled into the rocky hillsides just outside of Tucson which created a perfect backdrop for photos and we were there in time to see the wild flowers still in bloom! The kids and I thought it was great, a little warm in the mid-afternoon (bring a hat & water and arrive early) - there was lots of walking and even more to see and discover! 

The kids gave the museum 4 thumbs up - Chase liked the animals and Alaina really enjoyed the walk through bird aviary and the hummingbird garden. Definitely worth putting on your list of things to-do when visiting Southern AZ!

Oh! and I even had some time to scrapbook over the Spring Break ~ in case you thought I had given up on scrapbooking :) I did a little guest designing for Little Black Dress kit club. I can post all of the photos later this week, it was a fun color palette to work with!