lions, tigers and PROJECTS oh my!!

I haven't had access to internet for awhile.  My computer's been faulty.

I mean, I can access it from my phone, but really, who wants to blog from a phone.

Not I.

Anywho, it's been a crazy summer so far.  I've had some life and work changes that have kept me busy busy!

I haven't crafted as much as I'd like to...but I have a few things under my belt.

I stained my potato hutch.  You're probably wondering what a potato hutch is, or why I wanted one.

Too bad, I'm not going to tell you!  jkkk.  mostly.

                        From this........................to this!

Anywho, I stained this sucker, and  let me share some things I learned.

1. Lighter is always better...once it's dark, you can't go back.  It might've (okay, definitely) come out darker than I wanted.

2.  If you plan to use a foam brush, have a spare (or 10 in my case) handy.  Foam isn't the best quality and they fall apart!

3.  About halfway in, I decided to use a technique I'm dubbing "soak and swipe"  Meaning I soaked the wood with the stain, let it sit for a second, and swiped a towel over it to pick up the excess.  Most successful part of this adventure.

Andddd finally...Always go with the grain.  I did- I swear! :)

Things I'd still like to get to this summer:

1.  Homeade cupcake.  I'm thinking a dark chocolate cupcake with a raspberry puree filling, topped with a buttercream frosting and chocolate covered raspberry to top.  Oh yes, you read that right!!  YUM!

2. DIY Headboard I just saw in a magazine made of random and eclectic dresser drawers.  Sounds weird right?  Well, I kind of like weird- so feel free to donate your old dresser drawers :)

3. Plan and coordinate a murder mystery party. I've recently become infatuated with Clue;and  I'm an excellent detective and I'd like to practice my skills :)

Oh, it's already the middle of July you say???  I'd better get on it then! 

Untitled

i'm not really that clever at making titles.

This one will remain untitled.

One of the things I loved most about Hawaii (besides their amazing sense of humor and compulsive love of vowels) was that there were a lot of free things to do.

This prompted me to look for free things to do in my area.

My newest adventure to try to Geocaching!!  (Click to see what all the buzz is about!)

I think on our next day off, I'm going to take Casey and the dogs for a day date and just roam the city.

Also, it's a great way to see what else there is to explore in the city :)

We went zipping in Hawaii also!  I'm having a hard time finding some local spots to do this at.  I could've spent all day ziplining!!  I multi-tasked and shot a video as I was soaring across the mountain!!

I know- good thing there wasn't al ot of bugs huh?!

anywho, that's all for now- excited for more adventures this summer :)

<3 te*lynn



May, oh my...

...how time flies.

 May was a fast month for sure.

3 weeks of vacation.

I know, tough break.

Mexico was first.  Hawaii second.

My next several blogs will include my travels!

Check this out:



I am in LOVE with Maui's BYOB Law.  January 2011 they banned the use of single use plastic bags.  At stores, they utilize paper bags which makes me nostalgic and has a down to earth feel.

Some stores won't even provide you with a bag- you have to provide your own.

Mainland- get on board!!

and my newest love, that I've thought about everyday since I gained its presence is the Banyan Tree!

 AFTER climbing the tree...I spotted this sign.

 uhh....OOPS  :)

seriously... my new LOVE.

This Banyan Tree was first planted in April, 1873, and marked the 50th Anniversary of Christian missionary work in Lahaina. The tree was imported from India was only 8 feet tall. It now stands over 60 feet high, has 12 major trunks in addition to a huge core. It stretches over a 200-foot area and shades 2/3 of an acre.

if you want to see more pictures of the banyan tree , click here!

well, that's all for now.  I hope you enjoyed my new fascinations!

procrastination is character's assasination...

a friend once told me this is her favorite quote...

at this moment I would agree. 

I need to pack.  I need to pack actually.  I need to pack outfits, and supplies for three week's vacation. and I have a list a mile long of things to do this week...

You'd think I'd be excited about this- but I'm kinda dreading picking out that much stuff!

What if I change my mind on what I want to wear?

What if in the next week I find better outfit options?

What if I pack for 80 degree weather and its 100 degrees??

I'm not really a what if kind of gal,  just figured typing up this blog would exonerate me from a few minutes of packing!

...mission accomplished. 

off to START packing, we'll see how far I get.

take a peeksie at where I'll be next week :)



book report!

Since last night I have finished two books.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

It was an interesting read.  I liked how descriptive she was in her writing.  Used a lot of adjectives and new words for me to look up. 

I don't know why...but I love looking up new vocab words. In high school, we had weekly 'Word within the word' tests.  Basically, they wanted you to learn how to break down words to figure out the meaning.  I always did well, because it was interesting to me. 

I read these books on my nook, and I have to say it has REVOLUTIONIZED my vocab lookup!  Often when I am reading a book, I don't have the time to grab a dictionary or I'm not near one.  With Nook, you can look it right up!

My favorite word from Water for Elephants  

Pachyderm

any of the thick-skinned, nonruminant ungulates, as the elephant, hippopotamus, and rhinoceros. or

a person who is not sensitive to criticism, ridicule, etc.; a thick-skinned person.

I'm fasinacted that I can be called the same name as an elephant!  It's true though, Ellie and I have something in common!

Anywho, Water for Elephants wasn't the best book that I've ever read, but it was a great mind stretcher!  Anxious to see the movie! :)

The other book I read was Her Last Letter by Nancy Johnson

what a great mystery!!!   I really couldn't decipher what had happened until it hit me smack in the face!  It had enough side stories to keep me suffiently occupied so I couldn't put too much thought into what was going on!

Other things I attempted today:

This scruffy puppy needed a fur-cut!  I am not the best groomer so I only got a smidgen done before I gave up! 

My beautfiul Puppies :)

Look how happy they are!!!

Then I reorganized my closet and got rid of a ton of stuff!  Jewelry got sorted and purged as well!  I am very grateful I have such a large closet! 

Casey was a great help!  Once I got rid of what i didn't want anymore...I delegated the sorting to him!  I just asked him to keep like styles together!  Dresses, pants, etc.  Must be my work habits coming out!

Can I tell just how fresh and organized and on top of the world when my closet is organized??

This week will definitely be a great one.

Til next time,

taralynn

On a side note:  I think the Europeans are on to something with the gap year between high school and college.  Brilliant idea!  Would love to hear your thoughts on the subject!

annnddd...spell check doesn't work for the blog- so sorry for the grammar fanaticals!



SUNDAY FUNDAY!

I guess everyone's definition of a funday is different!!

I'm planning an Easter full of READING!

I bet you're thinking...what's the hype.

A little fact about me.  I'm OCD when I read.

MEANING...I have to read a book start to finish.  No joke.

Sometimes it's a real pain, since I generally compromise sleep  to finish a book.

Hence, dedicating a day to reading!!

On my list:

Water for Elephants (Can't wait to see Reese and Rob on the big screen!)

One True Love (can't wait for some sap!)

anndd I can't remember the two other titles!

I'll summarize when I'm done :)

yiiippppiiiieee!!



the delicious moment you've all been waiting for...

It's here!

I did it!!

I wrote a recipe for my stuffed shells that you all love so much!

Here is it:

Tara’s Zucchini and Pepperoni Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

1 box Jumbo shells

1 26 oz Jar of your favorite pasta sauce

2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.

For Filling:

1 large zucchini quartered

1 package of pepperoni quartered

8-10 oz. small curd cottage cheese

8-10 oz ricotta cheese
1 cup parmesan
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper (omit if you do not like spicy food)
Italian seasoning

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. Boil noodles. Use salt to prevent noodles from sticking together.
3. Saute the zucchini and the garlic.  Once zucchini is almost tender, add the pepperoni.  Let cool briefly.

(Looks good doesn't it!!)

4. Mix the cottage cheese, ricotta, parmesan, seasoning together to make filling.

5. Add the zucchini and pepperoni mix to the filling mixture.

6. Once noodles are done boiling, drain. Let noodles cool enough to touch.

7. Put a little sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 pan.  

8. Using an ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop, spoon mixture into each shell. Keep shells close together in the pan, and place the shell in the pan with the opening facing up. If you have remaining filling mixture, you may put it in the bottom of the pan or dispose- whichever you prefer.

9. Pour your sauce over the noodles, making sure to cover all edges thoroughly. 

10. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on top of sauce. Also add the crushed pepper if you like.

11. Add mozzarella cheese, liberally cover shells.

12. Place foil over dish, and bake for 30 minutes.

The end product should look like this...

oohhh yess. 

and two posts in one day??  I think that more than makes up for my lack of blogging :)