Interweb Inspiration and Finds

I love it when you have an hour or so to just cruise the web with no particular destination in mind, and just follow links with the frivolity and spontaneity of a road trip. Today I found some inspiration from a couple of my usual daily reads: the fantastic Purl Bee, and the funky-fresh CraftZine.

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This lampshade looks like fun, and is giving me all sorts of ideas for how I can make my own....Also over at the CraftZine blog, I found this PostCarden, which is a refined replacement to the tragically tacky Chia Pet:

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There's so much goodness over at CraftZine, I'll let you head over there to decide which project to do for yourself...next stop: the Purl Bee. Oh how I love the Purl Bee, ever inspiring me with endless possibilities for new media to work with, and delicate, stylish execution of said media. Like this stunning sashiko tote:

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While at the Purl Bee, a button on the sidebar caught my eye for mixtapezine...I love mix tapes, music, and the type of people passionate enough about both to make a business of it - so I clicked my way on over. It did not disappoint. Not only is the zine and blog about music, it sneaks an awful lot of playtime for crafty goodness. It was tough to pick just one thing to show you, but I decided on this gorgeous garden hex quilt:

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And before I had to run off to the Post Office, the Grocery Store, and who knows what other exciting locales a domestic goddess such as myself may visit in a day - there was one more link luring me to stay online just a little while longer. And I'm so glad it called to me like a beacon in a storm, the button for Home Ec, quite possibly the hippest craftiest shop this side of the Mississippi. A visit to LA may well be in order, if only to visit this shop; but I'll definitely be getting this online meanwhile:

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A Quiet Mind?

This afternoon, after a successful morning of working - I felt like taking a nap with my adorable little daughter. Now that she's in her big-girl bed (read: crib), I figure I've only got so many of these lazy afternoons left - so I'd better take full advantage of them. Trouble was, once I rest my weary head to my pillow, my mind began to stir. 

Thoughts took flight like a chaotic flock of seagulls, dipping and diving through my brain - each one showing only a glimpse of its wing before the next appeared.

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It really was a mess. I thought about:

• Making these bloomers that Alli blogged about, over at One Pearl Button.

• Contacts, schedules, and articles for the "Eco-Clean How-To Week"
• Finishing some of my crafty projects already, like my sexy adult version of these baby blocks

          from Rachel Denbow's tutorial at Smile & Wave (I just can't WAIT to show y'all those!)

• Starting an indoor herb garden for my kitchen and my Julia Child moments
• A super-cute design for dust cloths (yes, I've got cleaning on the brain, over here!)
• How I should stop thinking about all of this and enjoy the nap with Marley.
• How I should get off my ass and at least do one of these things.
• How I should just blog about this.

There were probably at least a hundred other thoughts fluttering by like so many butterflies, too flimsy to catch and keep. But at least I caught one of those thoughts and settled on it, huh? 

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Yeah for Me!

If you've got some secrets for how to quiet a busy mind, please share them with me - obviously, I could use some help in this area. And if you've got the same problem - let me know - misery loves company!

Mean Green and Clean...Okay, Not So Mean....

I've been up to something lately over here...with big plans in store for you my friends. I've been spending a lot of late nights studying, researching, and combing the interweb for some detailed information on a subject that I am passionate about, and I hope you will be too: eco-cleaning.

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Cleaning isn't a topic that people usually get excited about, but if you'll just trust me - and stick along for the ride - by the end of the week long special, you'll be an eco-cleaning fool!

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Like all good presents, this one won't be easy to wait for - but it will arrive just in time for your spring cleaning, packed with homemade cleanser recipes, tips and tricks, diys and tutorials, and even some other little surprises!!

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It's going to be great, friends - and it'll make that dreaded spring cleaning something that the crafter, cooker, and even gardener in you can look forward to! I'll be posting some buttons on the blog in the next couple of days for you to add to your blogs if you want to spread the good news and good fun around!

Best,

Tara

Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know All About Me...

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Recently, I hopped up on the formspring bandwagon - mostly because it seems like so much fun. Not to mention, it's an opportunity for any and all of you to finally ask me those burning questions that have undoubtedly been keeping you up at night, like:

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And maybe you've got some more philosophical questions...like these ones:

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However over-the-top, metaphysical, silly, personal, probing, irrelevant or irreverent your questions may be - I promise to answer them all thoughtfully and truthfully. I think formspring has got to be the next best thing since facebook for our voyeuristic culture, and I am all for it.  For those of you who don't yet know formspring, it's a simple little form generator where anyone and everyone can ask you anything, anything at all - with anonymity or not.

Assuming you have some burning questions for me now or eventually, I'll be posting Q & A's from time to time on the blog as a regular feature. So hit me with your best shot! There's a simple question field and submission form directly underneath the RSS Feed and Follow Button on the left sidebar of the blog. I do so hope for some juicy questions! This should be fun : )

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Note to Reader

I've been meaning for some time now to let you all know what it means to me when you leave your comments on my blog. I recently read somewhere that:

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." William Arthur

Honestly, leaving that gift all wrapped up and under the tree is not my intention. So, this post is for you, my lovely readers! Truthfully, hearing from all of you and learning more about your lives is one of the highlights of my day. It makes me feel like this...

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And everytime I read one of your comments, it's like catching one of these...

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or touching one of these...

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and I realize just how connected we all are.

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And it makes me wish I could give each and every one of you one of these...

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Thank you again for coming back to read the little blog that I'm growing here. And thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, opinions, well-wishes, and yourselves with me. You really give this part of my life a new meaning.

xoxo.

Staying in the Lines

                                                                                                       Source: We Heart It

For at least the better part of ten years, I have longed for a zebra rug. Not an actual zebra hide, mind you. That would go entirely against the grain of my morality; and, conveniently, the semblance of a dead animal on my floors is not exactly my desired aesthetic. Through countless moves from the dwellings of my twenties, to the nestings of my family roost to-date, the catalog stalkers have hunted me down and taunted me with images of furniture and accessories I could not afford. Thankfully, most often - I wouldn't even want the latest catalog trend - and wow! there are a lot. But in this past decade, there has been one trend that won't go away: the zebra rug - and that's just okay with me. 

It's just such a versatile piece of decor, that I predict it will stand the test of time and be a valuable investment for every interior. I can see us all growing tired of our color schemes, certain furnishings, maybe even artwork - and the great thing about the zebra rug is its versatility. Those bold, graphic, sweeping lines of sepia and ivory like shadows on a dune; those lines lend themselves to any color scheme, and anchor any interior style.

These are some excellent examples I've found across the web of the adaptability of the zebra rug: here seen in a monochromatic mid-century modern interior, a feminine contemporary decor, neutral classic scheme, eclectic complementary color scheme, a modern masculine complementary scheme, and a global design scheme. Succinctly, the zebra rug works. It ties a room together, and it crosses all major styles and schools of design.

Above is the Zebra Rug available at West Elm. It is by far my favorite for the price; but there are so many available, including a sweet printed cotton version at Urban Outfitters. And if you want to balance your room with some bold, graphic lines; but animal prints just aren't your thing, you might try something like this:

Big Girl Bed

Birdcage Lamp handmade by Me

When I was pregnant with Marley, making sure she had a decidedly modern nursery with an uber-chic zebra wood crib, low, horizontal lines, bold, bright colors, and handmade touches was an obsession of mine. Her room quickly became the most lavished upon spot in the house - and definitely the best designed. With eco-friendly paint, vintage nursery rhyme illustrations, a handmade lamp I made for her, and that perfect crib -- it should have been the room we all spent most of our time in. But when we brought our Honeyplum home (named so for that sweet face and that lovely jaundiced color), there was no way I was parting with her. It seemed unnatural while I was nursing my newborn lass with an unstoppable appetite even to separate us with a co-sleeper. And once her appetite gained some normalcy, and I was no longer able to breastfeed, well...she was just so dang cute and snuggly. I promised Jeff we'd try the co-sleeper once she was bigger, thinking six months would be forever away. Six months came and went like a flash in the pan; we tried the co-sleeper for a night or two, but even the arm's reach distance was more than I could stand.

Fast forward through two moves, two coasts, three states, and just over a year. It's been impossible, even if I had been ready before now, to transition Marley to a crib with so many moves. Sleeping with my twenty month old daughter doesn't feel as natural as it used to. The three of us in a queen size bed makes for some truly uncomfortable sleeping arrangements - and lately, I've been waking up with my face smothered in her feet and still falling off the edge of the bed. I finally decided enough is enough, I need some sleep! Over the past couple of weeks, while at friends on play dates, I've made a point of taking Marley to her friends' rooms and asking about their "big girl beds". This worked very well to pique Marley's curiosity, and she even asked if she could get in her best friend, Ella's big girl bed, recently. I think that build-up helped when I decided this was the morning, and could tell her that tonight, Daddy was going to build her 'big girl bed'. She got very excited, and kept saying 'Ella! Emily! Robert!' her friends' names whose big kid beds she had seen and we'd discussed. I was so impressed with her memory and acknowledgement.

Despite her excitement, I had been reading a lot of books (as you all know I tend to do) about the issue of family beds, transitioning, and particularly attempting this matter with toddler. I expected that we would be in this for the long haul. She was not going to go to sleep in her big girl bed without blood, sweat, and tears - and it could take days, weeks,....god forbid, months. But none of the books could have prepared me for how well adjusted my little girl would be. None of the forum boards, pediatricians, and cautionary tales prepared me for how quickly she would lay down in her little bed, tell me not to sing the 'Go To Sleep Little Baby' song I'd sung for her since she was a newborn, she wanted the new hit "ABC" thank you very much, and drift off to sleep. Just like that. In her big girl bed. A big girl. No one warned me that the tears I should anticipate would be my own. I am so glad that we had our time together in our family bed...and that I will always have the fond memories of my sweet baby girl, snuggled up warm beside me.

Been Gone For A While

Wow. It's been awhile. Resolutions are hard to keep - and blogging three to five times per week is no exception.  Some of you just make it look so dang easy. The past several days or so, I've been a bit down - and I've been debating whether or not to share that with you - but it was getting to look like it would be an even longer hiatus if I didn't...so here's my sob story, and then we (I) can move on:

I have epilepsy. It's not so bad, really. Actually, it's been a very very long time since it's even affected me at all. So long in fact, that I recently convinced myself that perhaps my epilepsy magically went away. Thursday morning I was reminded to the tune of a grand mahl seizure and a thirty minute black-out that alas, my epilepsy did not go away. In fact, the medication I had been so good about taking (except for the past six weeks) had been keeping me from having lots and lots of these seizures it turns out. I have been spending my days bouncing between self-pity and kicking myself for not taking my medicine. I am ever thankful that I wasn't seriously injured, and that my daughter didn't see it happen - I think that would have really freaked her out.

My last complaint is that the doctor has advised against driving for three months. Seriously?! Talk about paying for your mistakes!

Okay, I am done with the complaining, self-pity, and disappearing acts. It is now time for me to step back up to the world of the living, healthy, happy, snarky, positive, and crafty. Tomorrow, I will return with something fun.

Thanks for reading my rant/whine - I had to get it out.

Miss You

Hello everyone! I haven't got a lot of time right now - I'm busy with listing some new goodies in the shop, and then will be spending the day with Marley. I just wanted you all to know (and perhaps this is too much information), that I've been missing you all, and thinking of so many things I want to share. 

For instance, I finished one of my WIP projects: a custom eye pillow for my pregnant and lovely friend, Jen. I created a custom herbal blend specifically for the needs of expecting women. If you need to feel light as a feather these days, take a look and treat yourself. At $18 USD, it's an uplifting remedy you can afford.

light as a feather herbal eye pillow for mommies

Also, I've been spending a lot of time this week working on my constant WIP: me. I'm constantly trying to better myself, it's been especially pertinent to me since becoming a mother. I want so much for Marley to grow up happy, healthy, and balanced - and without a huge therapist bill. Who knows how much influence any of us really have as parents towards that end - but it is one of my biggest goals in life. 

One of the most useful tools I've found recently, amongst MANY others which I hope to share with you, is the book,"Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline" by Becky A. Bailey. 

I found this book on super-mom Amanda Soule Blake's blog, Soule Mama. Most modern books about discipline emphasize gentle and loving discipline as a means of teaching, not punishing. This is easy enough to achieve on good days. But when everything is hectic, you're in the midst of crazy PMS, and your toddler just climbed the bookcase for the tenth time today - it can be really really difficult. So I'm sharing this book with you because it is different then most, in that it emphasizes the need for parents to FIRST gain self-control, and learn to view the world from a loving view; and THEN tackle positive discipline. Three days in and it's already working for me - in every area. And that is why I love it - it's helping me become a better person, not just a better parent. 

I hate to evangelize, but I seriously think I'd like to share some of what I've learned over the next few days. And if you're expecting - or struggling in this area - take a gander at this book. It's really good news.

Antique Notions

bag of notions - $11 USD

It's no secret that one of my favorite pastimes is antiquing - and thrifting - and estate sales. I was indoctrinated to the world of once-loved belongings by my fabulous Grandma, Josephine. Grandma and I used to spend a lot of time together in my childhood - and there were a lot of amazing weekend afternoons spent at local antique malls, antique expo shows, and garage sales - whether shopping or selling. Even now, I feel like I'm with my Grandma when antiquing; and that feeling of being an explorer who has stumbled upon some ancient treasure still excites me.

As you may well know, antiquing can sometimes be a let down. You scour the cluttered shelves, tabletops, and cubbies for that special something that truly reminds you of something - even if you don't know what. You are overcome with a desire to own that something - again, perhaps. And then you look at the price tag. Sometimes, you get really lucky; but more often than not, the wind is blown out of your sails - and the piece is replaced to it's dusty shelves. You walk away from the antique store forlorn, knowing that little gem will collect dust for years to come.

Okay, so maybe it's not that dramatic or woeful for you. In fact, if it was so depressing, why would we ever go back? But I'm sure you've experienced that feeling on some scale - and had to walk away from said treasure trove empty-handed. But you don't have to leave all of the antiquities behind, to age and wither. Some antiques are truly affordable - and will fulfill that empty little spot inside every shopper. My personal favorite is antique linens and notions. Yesterday, in a belated birthday celebration just for me - I headed off to a town full of antique stores. And, my friends - I definitely scored well in the fabric department! Here are a few of the fabulous fat quarters I found - all for a dollar or less:

Seriously the cutest Eskimos I've ever seen!

Is it art? or is it just fabric? Amazing!

incredibly sweet baby dress - $1 USD!!

Blue Screen of Death

Hello friends.

I have to apologize to those of you who signed up for the Valentine's Mix CD - I will send it, but unfortunately, the other day my computer took it's last breath. I can only hope that all of my data can be retrieved - and as soon as order is restored - I will burn and mail you all a belated Valentine.

This is what I wish my computer looked like upon it's tragic and early demise:

blue screen fail whale

Somehow, it seems it would have been more fitting.


And so, I may be offline more than I wish - Jeff and I are sharing one computer now, and it's in his office, which I don't LOVE spending time in...I'm thinking I will use this time wisely and stop procrastinating on the many projects that are WIP or just swimming around my head. Life offline = Life productive. That's the goal anyways! 


Best,
Tara

Personal Style: Colors

So you all know I've been trying on style again lately. It hasn't been an easy task to take on, particularly in the dead of winter. I love love love color, so getting revved up with gray skies and drizzly weather is challenging to say the least. But the other day, the gray in the sky let up a little, and the snow's been melting off by 11am; and simultaneously my style has poked its way back into my life, like a little crocus popping up through the snow. Based on my earlier notes, I've established that I love layers, hiding my waistline, and vintage details. I think today's look embraces these loves, with a healthy dose of vibrance to beat the winter doldrums:

I'm wearing a sliver waxed linen mini dress from my days of Urban Outfitter lust, a purple striped cardigan (I wear this sweater more than I care to admit) from my recent desperate Gap moment, fuschia skinny jeans, vintage red floral scarf, and topaz rhinestone flower brooch found second-hand at Goodwill, my favorite funky socks (gotta love RVCA), and some cheap red buckle flats. I feel so good about this outfit - I feel like I'm somehow contemporary without being trendy - and the best part of all is that I've found new ways to work my wardrobe.

Here's a hilarious outtake from the photo shoot, which Jeff so sweetly helped me with. This was his idea:

Don't Forget

                                        Sparklethot's Ribbons Don't Forget Ring

Just a reminder: I'll be mailing out Valentine's Mixtape CDs to any blog readers who want one. Just leave a comment here with your email so I can contact you for your mailing address. 

The playlist is here.


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Filament

Filament I

Filament II

Took out the paints yesterday. I am so happy with the results - best part about it - I never worry about what I make when I paint. Everything I paint comes from the play of water, brush, paint, paper, and music.