We're officially budgeted.

Last weekend, we had some friends over for dinner. Talk turned to money (not sure how??) and it came out that we were the only couple not on a budget. Oh - and the only couple who had no idea where our money goes each month.

We're fortunate that we aren't carrying any debt.  But - we truly live paycheck to paycheck, and for no reason. We can't figure out where our money goes each month, and that is definitely not a good thing.

So we're officially on a budget. Not a can't-have-anything-you-want sort of budget, but definitely a saving-is-the-most-important-thing budget.  First, we have to get through January, pay off the credit card, and start February off with a clean slate.

Think we can do it? Anyone out there with a budget have any budgeting tricks that might help us be successful??

And because pictures of our budget would be boring, here's some pictures of our cutest dinner party guest:

Quilt show in Cincinnati!

The International Quilt Festival is coming to Cincinnati this year! This is how I found out about it:

Gramma: Did you hear that there is a huge quilt show coming to Cincinnati?
Me: Oh, how neat! When?
Gramma: The weekend of your wedding. Think we can still go?

So, we're buying tickets for the Thursday preview night and hoping that we'll have enough time to go, even just for a little bit. This could be the quilter's verse to the Alanis Morsette song, "Ironic."

Essentially, we are totally crazy!

Do they know me or what??

This year, I got some of the coolest Christmas presents from Josh and Steph, Zac's brother and sister-in-law. They live in London, England (read about their travels here!) and recently took a trip to India. They clearly know me well... look at some of the presents they brought me!

A pin cushion from Liberty of London, one of the coolest fabric stores in the world.

Is this not to die for?? I want to keep them all together and make a quilt. They are just so beautiful, and I think they are most beautiful together.  I need to find a pattern that can do them justice.  I'm afraid to unwrap the jelly roll!

Scraps of vintage fabric!! So cool!

This is a hand beaded tapestry from India, circa 1930. I wish pictures could do it justice. It is so beautiful!! 

Do you love it??

It is sewn like a pillow, but we could also hang it on the wall or set it on a table. Any suggestions for where to put it?

Did you get any really thoughtful gifts for the holidays?

Craft Room Overhaul

After Christmas, my sewing/craft room literally looked like a tornado had gone through it. Wrapping paper pieces were everywhere, fabric remnants from last-minute gifts, and stuff that belonged somewhere else but needed to be put somewhere so company wouldn't see it filled the corners.

In short, it was a mess. I can't believe I'm sharing these photos with you... but we're friends. And this was my real life. And shame can be a good motivator.

Uh yeah. Not a whole lot of creativity going on in there when it looks like this!

This room is our smallest bedroom and will (someday) become a nursery.  So...I didn't want to do anything too permanent because this isn't a forever room, but it seemed crazy to keep things temporary since babies are year(s) away.

We have other house projects that are ahead of this one on the gets-money-list, so this is what we could do for free. I'm pretty proud of it!

The second shelf of the bookcase will eventually store fabric like this, but I don't have the materials to do so yet. I usually hate mirrored closet doors, but in this small room, they really add a lot of light and make the room feel larger (though it's doubtful I'll want to look at myself in the mirror during midnight feedings in a few years, so they probably aren't staying long-term!).

Much better, right?? My favorite part is the thread holder!

Sorry the pictures aren't great - mastering this new camera is taking a lot of time!!

I've got a system started for organizing my craft ideas, and now that I have a beautiful, organized craft room, hope to start sewing something soon!

What did you organize this weekend??

Linking up to Kojodesigns I Heart New Years Challenge!

Giveaway Winner

Wow - thanks to everyone who participated in the CSN giveaway! Without further ado... our winner is...........

Comment #7, congrats Karie - enjoy your yoga equipment!!!

Karie, send me an email so I can forward you the information you'll need to redeem your gift certificate.

Everyone else, thanks for entering! Hopefully I can have another giveaway soon. In the meantime, I'm off to organize my sewing room - wish me luck!!

CSN Giveaway!

Exciting news for all of my favorite readers - CSN.com is offering a $35 gift certificate to one lucky Tara Being Tara follower!


If you aren't familiar with CSN, you are going to be in for a very pleasant surprise. CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find everything from stylish modern office furniture to cute cookware to chic lighting pieces.  You name it - they have it!

I've ordered from CSN before, and was very happy with my purchases. Now, it's your turn to win something!


To enter the giveaway:

1. Become a follower of Tara Being Tara.
2. Leave a comment, telling me what fun item that you don't really need (but you really want) you would buy if you win!

That's it! The giveaway will be open until Friday, January 7 at 11:59 PM EST.  Oh - and you have to live in the US or Canada to win - sorry to any international readers (I still heart you!). Good luck!!

Bailing each other out

Zac and I decided to set some monthly goals for our house, our lives and our relationship. One was to do "extra" things for each other - go above and beyond what we usually do, and do it willingly and happily.

Last night, he helped me finish a 600 piece mailing at 11:30 PM.

Tonight, I brought him his spare key when he locked his keys in the trunk of his car.

This is not exactly what I meant when I suggested this goal. Or maybe, it's exactly what I meant?

Organizing my crafting dreams

One of my goals for this year is to figure out a way to organize all of my creative ideas so that I can just jump right in whenever I have time to craft. I feel like there are times when I could do something wonderful... but I am not sure what to make, or I just don't have all of the supplies.

I have books. I have magazines.I have pages torn out of magazines. And then, of course, is this beast:

The projects I have bookmarked online are ridiculous. Sure, some are really in-depth projects that you'd have to actually buy supplies for (quilts). But others are just quick things that need a few supplies I already have and 45 minutes.

So the big question is.... how do you organize all of this stuff? A binder? A spreadsheet? A list?

A quick Google search brings up information on how to organize your craft room and supplies - but nothing about organizing your brilliance.

If you're a crafter, how do you organize all of these things? As I begin my quest for the perfect system, any advice on how to do so? I promise to share what I come up with!

How I Stopped Biting My Nails

I'm a recovering nail biter. I've been a nail biter for as long as I can remember... and I even hold my pen in a way that doesn't work as well when I have actual nails. I've tried to quit a ton of times - when I was in middle school, my dad even offered me $50 to stop. I've actually stopped a few times, only to quickly start again when I have a huge project at work or immediately upon stepping foot on an airplane.

I figured I'd stop when I got engaged. Nope - a few months into getting engaged and I would try to show people my ring with my fingers curled so they wouldn't notice my ugly nails.  Finally, enough was enough. I went to a local nail salon and got fake nails put on. They looked like this:

Just kidding! They did NOT look like that - though I had avoided fake nails for years because I was afraid that this is how they would look.  You can see them if you look closely in our engagement pictures:

Yep - just pretty. I had them filled twice, and really enjoyed them. Overall, I spent about $80, which to me, was money well spent to stop having this nasty habit.  

I went today, and they took off the nails. What you see below is 100% MY nails!! (You get a left hand shot because I am right handed and it's the only way I can take a picture one-handed that is almost in focus).

Why I think this time I was successful:

1. My nails always looked great. It was a lot easier to leave them alone when they looked pretty.
2. I couldn't really bite them. They were essentially hard acrylic. That would have been dumb.
3. I had them on for long enough to break the habit. At the beginning, I found myself still going through the motions of biting/picking my nails, even though I wasn't actually doing it. Now, I just leave them alone.

It seems small, but this is one of my proudest accomplishments! I know fellow nail biters / past nail biters will understand. I have gotten more compliments on my engagement ring ever since my nails have looked nice - which is just icing on the cake!

Have you kicked any bad habits? How did you do it?

Things to Do in 2011

I'm a huge fan of lists. And of making resolutions. Not necessarily always at the start of a new year, but just in general. I think they can be good.

At work, we teach the students how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals - goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. My resolutions are none of those things. They aren't specific goals - on purpose. This is just a list of things that I'd like to pay more attention to.  On that note, things I want to accomplish in 2011:

• Get married!
• Organize all of my craft ideas into a binder, so I can actually create!
• Donate a quilt to a local fundraiser
• Start an exercise routine (about 3x/week) 
• Re-connect with old friends with whom I've lost touch
• Visit my grandma in New York for a sewing weekend
• Make an album of all of our pictures from 2010
• Pack my lunch / eat lunch at home as much as possible
• Make time to read
• Make smarter food choices - like wheat bread over white.
• Stick to a cleaning schedule
• Stop worrying about what other people think and whether I'm doing things the "right way"
• Make the most of my wardrobe. I tend to be a lazy dresser - I have great clothes, but I usually can't be bothered to put an actual outfit together.

I'm sure I'll think of more as the year goes on...and I'll add them to my list and keep you posted on my progress! What are you going to do in 2011? Jamie from C.R.A.F.T. is going to implement one new herb in her cooking each month.  Such a cool idea!

Happy 2011!