I love to entertain and decorate for any occasion or holiday! Well, really, I don’t need a reason to decorate…I just love to do it. It is my therapy…my stress relief! Tablescapes are a great way to add a whole new look and style to any table; they beautify and enhance the room they are set in. They can be simple and homey or sophisticated and elegant. Your design style and personal preferences will determine the look and feel of your tablescape creation.

The inspiration to create a tablescape can come from a variety of spots: magazines, napkins or tablecloths, stores, pictures, a favorite memory, floral design stores, home décor stores or even as simple as a favorite candle holder or place mat. Look around your home for items of inspiration that you want to give center stage to. Try to incorporate some items you already have on hand. I am a big repurposer. I take accent elements from around the house and repurpose them to another shelve, counter, room or tablescape.

A tablescape is a collection of items put together on a table to create a cohesive design statement beyond the tradition centerpiece. Tablescapes may or may not include dishes. Often these are used in place of a center piece on a buffet table. You may create your center design for a buffet and after the event, just leave it up for a special meal where you would use your dishes.

Before you can begin your design, you have a few key design elements to consider; these design elements will greatly influence your end results: color, size of items, height of items, shape, texture and quantity of items on hand. Including a wide range of design elements will ensure a uniquely gorgeous tablescape that you can stand back and admire!

The #1 consideration, and the place to begin, is color. Decide what color or color combinations you would like to use and begin to look for those colors in items you already have around your house. Think about your color scheme, there are many to choose from. For example, you could choose to go monochromatic, meaning one color. With this tablescape, it is important to include a variety of varying textures and shapes. Be sure to include an accent color for the pop factor and visual appeal with the monochromatic color scheme. You can go to www.worqx.com/color/color_wheel.htm and learn more about color combinations if you are not comfortable matching colors.

Another one of my favorite things to do during the holidays is create theme Christmas trees. You follow the same design considerations as for tablescapes. With theme trees, another design element that adds a lot of flair and interest is feathers and ribbons. Start by deciding if you want a green tree, flocked tree, or the new tinsel trees. Again you need to consider a variety of texture elements. Add your lights and you are off to designing a theme tree. Enjoy and have fun this holiday season!!

Well, ladies, as I was rushing around running Christmas errands…shopping, getting things decorated, getting things together for my family, etc…I found myself just going through the motions of Christmas. Not until I had a moment to sit down in front of my window in my living room and look outside did I realize that Christmas is and should be so much more than hustle and bustle.

I know it sounds like a cliché but I found myself like Cindy Lou Who from The Grinch trying to find out what Christmas Spirit is/was. I have felt it before but over time, it sometimes goes away. I thought about giving and being grateful. I thought about life and family. Then, I began to have this warm and delightful feeling come to my heart…my heart was full of gratitude, love, and compassion.

I am most fortunate for my family. Not until my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer did I realize how quickly something could be taken away.  Now, she only has two more treatments and she will be done, YEAH!  Though the possibility was there that she could be taken from this life, I have found myself through this process. I have found how to be a better person, to treat others with respect, to serve others, to find happiness in life and to more importantly a way to love to love! I know it sounds crazy but I love to say “Love to Love.”

Don’t wait to realize there is one thing that has No Price, Can’t Be Taken From You, It Can Grow and Grow, and is it’s very nature to affect lives more than anything else: LOVE.  So, no matter what your status is in life, take the challenge of love to love.  It can and will change your life.  This, my dear friends is what Christmas Spirit is, a love to give and share. May this Christmas season bring you much Love and Happiness!

My special Tara’s Touch to help your busy holiday schedule is to share my favorite little goody to give the postman, trash man, teachers, neighbors etc.  That is Christmas Trail Mix; it is fast, good, and you will most definitely want to put this into your Christmas Goody Idea File! Enjoy!

May Your Days be Merry & Bright,

CHRISTMAS TRAIL MIX

INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS: 1 Gallon zip lock bag, 1 Large bag of Christmas M&M’s, 1 Large can of mixed nuts (or peanuts, your preference), 1 Large box of raisins

TO MAKE: Put all ingredients in the zip lock bag, seal it and shake it up. Now, this is very important, the key ingredient to making it with love, I like to sing the song: Shake, shake, shake senora, shake it all the time, shake, shake, shake senora, shake it all the time! I encourage you to sing - it’s good for the soul! Hehe!

TO DECORATE: Just put into a cute baggie & tie with a ribbon and put a gift tag! Ta-Dah!

How exciting it is for me to be given the privilege of writing to you each month - to give you all the special little touches that will strengthen your home and family - I am just sooo excited!  Twice a month, I will be your stop for news on being a wife, mommy, and homemaker and you can pick up the insights, advice, and home and craft ideas that will make your family and home set apart.

Being that this is our first edition, I would like to give you a little information about my crazy but amazing family and life.  I have been married for 11 years to the love of my life; I have two adorable children who are truly the greatest gifts in my life.  I grew up a military brat, relocating about every two years all along the gulf coast until we finally moved to Tennessee when I was sixteen. 

When my husband and I met, I was sixteen and he was my brother’s best friend.  We became friends and would occasionally hang out but it was that, “Oh, that’s my brother’s best friend, kinda can’t like him,” thing.  We did not date until I was nineteen, at which point we were both nervous but excited to cross the line of friends into dating.  It was through great thought and prayer before we made this decision.  Needless to say, I have never looked back and have truly relished walking out my life with my husband, my best friend, these past 11 years. 

We wanted time to share together and develop our relationship before having children, so we waited 5 years before having our little ones.  All in all, I can’t be more thankful for my family, the life lessons I have learned, the trials and tribulations I have experienced, and the countless blessings I have received.  Through this newsletter, I hope to be able to help you build a home of insight, laughter, thoughtfulness, creativity, and, most importantly, special memories that will last you a lifetime.  For more of Tara’s Touch, please visit the rest of our blog. Well, ladies, until next month, I leave you with a thought and little Thanksgiving craft. Enjoy!

Love, Tara

Tara’s Thoughts:

“The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind…we have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith.” ~ Margaret D. Nadauld

Tara’s Crafts:

Garland of Gratitude:

You will need to get a string of Garland at your local craft store, a sharpie of your color preference, and have fall colored slips of paper (maybe even jazz them and cut them into leaf and pumpkin shapes).  Until Thanksgiving, you can decorate your mantel, stairwell, or table with the garland.  On Thanksgiving Day, have a place in your home where everyone can write what they are thankful for and sign their name and year on one of the slips of paper; if you have little ones, you will need to help them. Attach these to the garland. You will have a charitable keepsake that you can decorate with for years in your home - memories that will you will never be able to put a price on. 

Festive Fun Treat

Here is a fun treat to make ahead and have on hand for entertaining. Print up the “Harvest Blessing” and put it beside the mix on a table in a pretty fall bowl or attach it to a bag with some colorful ribbon to give as a fun treat to teachers, friends or someone who needs a little lift. The sweet and salty flavors are such a yummy combination together!

Harvest Blessing

The Bugles are a symbol of the Cornucopia, a horn of plenty.

The Pretzels represent arms folded in thanks and prayer.

The Candy Corn reminds us that during the first winter, the pilgrims were allowed only five kernels of corn per day because food was so scarce.

The Fruit is a reminder that Thanksgiving is the celebration of the harvest.

The Peanuts represent seeds, the potential of the bounteous harvest for the next season if they are planted and well-tended.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember the daily blessings that are all around you!

Every year I decorate my front porch for Fall. I start with some basic components the first of October, Pumpkins of many varieties, scarecrows, and mums. In mid-October, I throw in a couple of Halloween items and carve a pumpkin or two. When the first of November rolls around, I take out the carved pumpkins and the other Halloween accents and add my “pumpkin pics” to turn my pumpkin into a turkey. It is so stinking cute!!!! I also add my giant turkey flag to my flag post hanger. I always try to repurpose items because it saves me time and money.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and you realize Fall is in the air!  I Love fall - it’s my favorite time of year!  I love the leaves changing, pumpkins, hayrides, bon fires with yummy smores, and not to mention all the fun get togethers you can have!!!!

I am always in a dilemia trying to figure out what to bring to our little gatherings we have with family and friends. Of course, it has to be sooo cute and fun.  I found this awesome way to use a pumpkin as a serving dish and put any kind of soup in it! Yes, that’s right, a pumpkin as a serving dish! Who would of thought?!? I love this and I am using it to take to our Church’s Fall Festival and I am going to put some yummy Chili in it and surround the base of the pumkin with crackers! How cute is that!

I would never leave you hanging, so, here are the directions to make this adorable

PUMPKIN SERVING DISH

Wash the pumpkin with warm water and pat dry. Cut away a round section on top of the pumkpin to form a lid. Scoop out the seeds and stringy mass with a large spoon.

Spray the pumpkin inside and out with a non-stick oil cooking spray. Lightly sprinkle the inside with salt. Spray a heavy baking sheet with cooking spray also. Place the pumpkin on the baking sheet. Place the lid aside of the pumpkin, cut side down.

Bake at 325° for 1 hour or slightly longer, depending on the size of the pumpkin. Bake until the inside of the pumpkin shell just begins to soften. The shell will be a deep orange color and have a shine from the cooking spray. Do not over bake. An over baked shell will not support the weight of the soup. Remove from oven. Very gently scoop out any remaining stringy areas you might have missed. Check the bottom of the the lid as well.

Again, as always a wonderful way to have fun in the fall and add Simplicity to your lives!

Enjoy!!!!

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As my little guy started Kindergarten this past week it really sank in that as life goes on we need to “MAKE IT COUNT”!  Life tends to get the best of our time and we loose track of the moments we should cherish.  So from having your little guy start Kindergarten, to someone needing a pick me up, to taking a minute to recognize a good deed, take the TIME to MAKE IT COUNT!

To MAKE IT COUNT does not take alot of time or money.  For my little boy’s first day of Kindergarten I came home threw in some easy bake chocolate chip cookies ( as I boo-hooed), which took 15 minutes. During the 15 minutes I put a load of clothes onto wash and folded a load of clothes which I am all about making the best of my time.  Then I took a paper lunch bag put some of the cookies in the bag folded the top and put a ribbon thru it and ta-dah! A special treat bag to let my little guy know I love him and I really care about his BIG Day.  I gave it to him when he got in the car from school and the look on his face was pure excitement! I have also done the same thing as a Thank You to some of my friends! So here is to Making It Count and still having simplicity in your life.