Some random stuff

1. I had my first wedding dress fitting on Sunday. She has like 8 cats. I trust her implicitly and can't figure out why?
2. I am taking a new medicine and I think it's giving me weird dreams. I say I think because I can't really remember them, I can just remember that I had them. Ugh.
3. School started again this week. Bleh.
4. The fact that Sarah Jessica Parker does the voice for the Nook commercial totally validates my choice of a Nook over a Kindle.
5. We might get another snow day tomorrow!
6. I love the radiator heat in our house but my feet are constantly freezing because the floors are too cold. I have two pairs of slippers - one slightly too big, and one slightly too small.
7. Yeah, this is what it's like to be in my head for 2 minutes.

Belle's Flower Girl Shirt

I had this idea for a flower girl shirt awhile ago, but just got a chance to actually make it this week. Our little flower girl is so sweet, that I thought she deserved a shirt as sweet as she is!

I free-handed the design, and just appliquéd it onto a cheap t-shirt I got at Target. If you don't know how to appliqué, you can see my tutorial here.

Close-up of the applique

And the shirt in action: 

What do you think? She liked it! I thought about making it the first item I list in my (currently empty) Etsy shop. Thoughts on that??

Did you make anything this weekend? I also had a chance to throw together a quilt top - and I literally mean throw together. Details later this week!

I'm linking to:

C.R.A.F.T. * The Girl Creative * I Heart Naptime * Under the Table and Dreaming * Kuzak's Closet * Young and Crafty * Tatertots and Jello * Sew Much Ado * Creations by Kara * Night Owl Crafting * Polkadot Giraffe * Not Just a Housewife * Sugar Bee Craft Edition * Polly Want a Crafter * The Train to Crazy * House of Hepworth's * My Repurposed Life * It's Fun to Craft! * Remodelaholic * 504 Main: Tickled Pink * Simply Designing * Freckled Laundry * KoJo Designs * Creation Corner * Simply Step Back *

Blog Award!

I am so excited to have received the Trendy Blog Award from the lovely  Biz at Busy Biz Blogs! Her blog is tons of fun, and you'll love the recipes she shares!

In order to accept this award, I need to pass it on to ten of my favorite bloggers. In no particular order of wonderfulness, I'm sending it to:

Kim at Newly Woodwards

Clare at A Day in the Life of Clare (a friend in real life, too!)

Jenny at DIY Newlyweds

Brandy at Jumping Jack

Beckie's new adventure, Knock Off Decor

The lovely ladies at Kojo Designs

Rae at Made by Rae

Mary Ellen at Mostly MEllen (another friend in real life!)

Sarah at The Ugly Duckling House

Amanda at Kuzak's Closet

Go visit some of my favorite blogs to read - I bet you'll find some that you love, also!

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?