Some of the Cutest Baby Stuff Ever

I have been searching Etsy for some of the cutest baby things that you could imagine!  I thought this would be the perfect time to share them with you.  I found these amazing cupcake liners on this store from Etsy called CupcakeSocial.  Aren't they adorable?  They could be used for a baby shower.  Instead of having a great deal of leftover cake, how about some precious cupcakes.  

 

Take a look at this chic bag that can be used for a diaper bag!  If you click on the link, you can take a look at what the bag looks like inside.  I found this one at Baby Ever After.  Aren't the colors so fabulous?

Have you ever seen just a quick pouch just for changing baby's?  I peeked at this from Dilly Baby and it is large enough for a small package of wipes and a couple of diapers.  Just perfect for someone on the go! Love, love, love this pattern.  Don't you?

 

This is just perfect for the wipes.  It fancies up the most generic looking wipe holder...so, precious!  I think the colors are perfect for me.  Go by Sweet Southern Tutus to check out this wipe holder.

And last but not least, I found this wrap for Mom and baby to wear.  This keeps the baby snug next to Momma and sound sleeping!  I had a friend that went to a school group with me who had one and she just raved about them.  She said they are incredible and perfect for newborns.  The perfect part is that they really are not that expensive.  There are a ton of colors and patterns if you so choose.  I found these at Baby Ette.  If you are searching for them, they are called Moby baby wraps.

I hope you enjoyed my little trip to Etsy's baby world.  Please feel free to stop by these shops and tell them that Tahra sent you from A Little Bit of Everything From Tahra.  I would love to hear from you if you have some goodies that you might want to share with me and where you found them.  Please let us know!

My First Baby Project

I happened upon a glider rocker during a community wide yard/curriculum sale.  I had wondered how I would get a rocker with such a small budget.  We had given all of our baby stuff away.  So, I have been piecing together a baby room, trying to be frugal.  You see I am 19 weeks pregnant, still trying to figure all this out.  Anyway, I was so thrilled to find this rocker for 20 dollars.  What a deal!  Take a look at the before picture!!!!!

It was a beautiful oak rocker but very outdated.  So, I thought hmmmmmm, what could I do with it.  I mean for 20 dollars, you just can't beat that!  So, here is what I came up with.  Check it out!  Here is my finished project!  Boy, do I love exclamation marks!

I primed the rocker, then painted it white with ceiling paint.  It is what I had left over in my garage.  I actually found that it covers brilliantly since ceiling paint is made to cover stains on ceilings.  It worked fab!

Then after painting it white, I decided to age this rocker and make it look rather farmish!  I took the sand paper to it and sanded a ton of areas to make it look used and abused.  I have to tell you, I wonder if there is a better way.  My fingers sure are sore and bruised!  I must add that I could not have finished this if both my sons, Trey and Graham hadn't helped me.  They did a spectacular job painting, sanding and brushing on the polyurethane.

Here is a smart picture of the rocker with its sand paper markings.  I wasn't quite happy with just the sanded white rocker so I took the advice of a friend who said I might take a tea bag to it.  I just added some hot water to a tea bag and as the tea bag released the dark stain, I sponged it on.  I had to work quickly so that it would be even.  It turned it from a white to a beautiful off white color.  Then when that was dry, I brushed on the polyurethane to give it a little glossy feel, just for comfort.  I had ordered the fabric from premier prints which will match my baby bedding.  It is a Robin's Egg blue and brown print, superb!!!!

My son, Trey, and I used a screw driver to pull out the old staples.  I then used the pattern from the old upholstered material to create a new pattern just by laying it on top and cutting around it.  I pulled out my handy dandy stapler and went to work.  Take a look at the bottom of the seat.  Instead of adding a skirt on the bottom, which I thought it would make it too feminine, I added a piping around the bottom to give it a more finished look.  I also added a brown large button.  The smallest touches add just the perfect solution to making it look fabulous, no, homey is the word I am looking for.  You see, I feel the need to get things done, if you know what I mean!!!  Now ladies, if I can do this, anyone can.  Well, I cheated a little bit!  My Mom came over and took the cushions and cut patterns from the cushions and sewed them up.  She did a phenomenal job, I might add. She also made the piping with the old plastic piping that we took out of the old cushions.  I feel so blessed to have her.  She is a super seamstress!  She is such a perfectionist that she is always saying, "I could never sew for anyone else because my work is not that good." But let me tell you, it looks great.  I hope you all have enjoyed my rendition of nesting.  Enjoy!!!!

Baby's Room

I wanted to show off the beautiful colors and patterns that RockyTopDesign on Etsy has for crib bedding design.  I am so excited to design my new baby's room.  He isn't here yet but we are so excited he will be coming around December 28th or maybe earlier if I get my way.  Look at these swatches of fabric...Robin's Egg Blue and Brown.  Aren't they so amazing?  Isn't Etsy amazing? 

 Can't you just imagine G and H together for a bumper and H for the crib skirt.  RockyTopDesign charges 208.00 for a custom made bumper and crib skirt.  Just amazing!

Take a look at this crib bumper, isn't it beautiful? 

Take a look at this gorgeous set that she has done, I would love it in the blue and brown colors that I have chosen.  She even gave me a website where I could order the swatches so that I could lay out the patterns and decide what matches well together.  Now, I can take the blue color and go find a paint that matches the fabric.  How cool is that!

I would also like to say that I compared prices on Etsy and I think that RockyTopDesign is very competitive, if not better pricing than some of the others.  I had to check that out since this is our fifth child and it would be hard explaining the extra costs to my husband! Yikes! Especially since I have given all of my baby stuff away a long time ago. I have nothing and now I am starting over.  The good thing is, I know what basics I need and I don't have to go crazy!  I am so excited, isn't this so fun?  Keep coming back and checking my blog because I am going to be posting some really cool baby stuff from Etsy that I love, love, love!

I Have A Crazy Announcement To Make

Oh My Goodness!  That is all that I can say.  I am in shock, still trying to figure out how this happened!  I know it is truly an amazing gift!  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full! Psalm 127:5  I can't stop writing exclamation marks!  Yes, I am going to have another baby.  Get this...my fifth child!  I will be forty this year and I thought we were done!  I guess God has other plans for our lives.  I am thrilled that he chose us to have another baby but sometimes I think, Lord I am going to be forty, can I handle this?  I know that he knows what he is doing, I just have to keep reassuring myself that God will be there to hold my hand.  Aside from my shock, my kids are so ecstatic.  They can't quit talking about the baby and telling everybody, I mean everybody.  My four year old told three people while we were out today that I was pregnant.  Then I took my mother-in-law to the doctor the other day and the doctor said, "Is this your first?"  When I told him that it was my fifth he had a very disturbed look on his face and said, "How do you do it?"  I think he was meaning, how can I manage five!  Well, let me tell you, only by the grace of God, my friends.  Pray for me ya'll!  Pray for me!

A Tribute To My Mom

Sarah "Bonnie" Roberts

My Mom has always been there for me!  

She is one of those self-less mothers that would do anything for her children.  

She was there to cheer me on when I graduated from nursing school!  

She made my wedding dress!  

She made all of the food for my wedding and catered it. 

She took care of my Daddy when he was dying of lung cancer.  

She wouldn't sleep anywhere but by him on the couch when he was dying in the hospital bed.  

She was there for me with every birth of my children.  

She raised my sister's daughter.  

She has been a shoulder to lean on for my other sisters. 

She has praised my husband for his intelligence and his love for me.  

She has helped to watch my children when I had appointments. 

She has come over and cleaned my house when I had just had it!  

I can't tell you how many loads of laundry she has folded.  

She has always been there for me!  
She is my best friend!

What a Mom!

Rosemary Gone Wild And A Recipe, Too!

Today I pruned my rosemary bush because as you can see, it had gone wild.  I must add that this is the picture after I pruned it!  

 I planted some mint because I just love to make mint iced tea.  

 I also planted some basil which I use quite often for a tomato, onion and basil omlet,  and bruschetta, I must add!

 I haven't gotten thyme yet but that will be my next purchase.  I had some but the rosemary had so taken over my little herb garden that it wasn't doing well.  I weeded the herb bed so that came up too.

I would like to leave you with a great recipe for Oven Lemon Rosemary Salmon. I use it quite frequently because fish is so healthy for you.  Adding the herbs and lemon to the salmon really helps to cut down on the fishiness of the fish.  I have also used the herb topping on chicken and it is just as good if you don't care for seafood.  Try it!

Oven Lemon Rosemary Salmon

1 lb of salmon

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 cloves of garlic

2 tsp of fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

capers(optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the fish into 4 equal portions.  Combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary in a bowl.  Brush the mixture onto the fish. 

Place on a greased baking sheet that has sides to it.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until the fish can be flaked with a fork.  To serve, top the fish with capers which is optional. 

Serves 4.

Mother's Day Sale

Hey fellow bloggers!  I just wanted you to know that I am having a 10% off sale and free shipping on my Etsy jewelry shop.  I would love for you to find something for someone special and that might be YOU!  Once you order, I will refund you the 10% off and the shipping.  I think that ordering from small businesses will really help to boost our economy!  And it adds a special touch to order something handmade!  Also, I love custom orders and I can change my pieces if there is something you see that needs changing. Please let me know how I can help you.

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

Yumm-o!  Have you all heard of this Ooey Gooey Butter Cake?  It is fabulous!  You can do so many things with a 1 dollar box of cake mix and this one is my favorite!  I wanted to share this recipe because it is one of my children's favorites.  Also, this is a quick recipe to have on hand if you have some quick unannounced show-ups at your house!  Whoops! Oh and I almost forgot that you can add coconut and pecans, you can add peanut butter chips or even chocolate chips to this recipe!  I would love to hear from you if you try it!  I hope you enjoy!

1 hour | 20 min prep

SERVES 12

• 1 (18 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar

1. Mix cake mix, melted butter and one egg.
2. Pat into 13x9 inch pan.
3. In a separate bowl beat cheese until fluffy.
4. Add 2 remaining eggs to cheese and mix well.
5. Add powdered sugar and beat until lumps are gone.
6. Pour this mixture over cake in pan.
7. bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until topping is golden.  (I usually cook it for 45 minutes)
8. Allow to cool somewhat to set topping (slides off when warm).

New to Blogland

I don't have any pictures to show you or much that is interesting to say!  

But, I just wanted to share since I started blogging how I have come in contact with some really awesome ladies!  

I am so blessed to get to know these new women. 

I just want to encourage each of you to step out beyond your busy lives to blog, it has been an amazing experience.  

I am so thankful to Tara Lowry for introducing me to this new area of my life. 

I have been so encouraged by what I read from some amazing women online!  

Thanks, friends!

And The Winner Is...

I am so excited to announce the winner of my giveaway:

Crushluv

Please contact me by email and send me your name and address.  I am honored that you all participated in my giveaway.  I want you all to be winners so I am offering 10% off if you are interested in purchasing from My Etsy Shop: Designs by Tahra.  All you have to do is go to my shop and purchase something, list in "notes to seller" Giveaway and I will reimburse you 10% through Paypal.  It's that simple!  I went to randomgenerator.org to help me choose the winner.   I hope you all have a great day!  I will be listing some new pretties today so watch for those!
xoxo,

Toasted Cinnamon and Sugar Pecans

If you are interested in the Giveaway, please press here.

This evening our family ventured out to the Avalon Spring Festival that was put on by our neighborhood. We walked around and visited many tents with creative things to sell. There were a great deal of jewelry booths, but none like mine, yeah!

I also tasted some garlic grapeseed oil made by Wildtree which is fabulous on italian bread with a few herbs sprinkled on top. I had never heard of Wildtree before today. I suspect they are a company similar to Pampered Chef selling cullinary oils and spices.

But my most yummy find was the cinnamon and sugar toasted pecans. I am sure most of you have tasted these amazing, delicious pecans or they also had almonds. So, I decided when I got home, how hard could this be? I took 4 tablespoons of butter and melted it on low. Then I added about a half a cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and cooked them together stirring frequently for about 3 minutes on low. Then I tossed in about 2-3 cups of pecans which I like better than almonds. I guess that's 'cause I am a real southern girl! I cooked them for another 2-3 minutes on low until I started to notice a carmelization occuring and a toasty smell. Please be careful not to over cook because they may burn. The pecans were very hot so I poured them out on some wax paper to cool and then broke them up and ate them right out of the pan lined with paper. These were fantastic!

My husband had set out the Breyer's All Natural Chocolate icecream to soften. He likes his particularly soft. I made him a bowl and decided that these toasted cinnamon and sugar pecans would be so yummy delish on top of the chocolate icecream. And guess what, they were! This was an amazing find! My husband loved it and my kids raved about how yummy the pecan snack was!

So, I would just love it if you all would try this and let me know how this turns out for you. I thought I would add a picture of my yummy concoction. Hope you belly turns flips! Enjoy!

My Very First Giveaway

Well, lately I have been entering a fair amount of giveaways to win and then donating my jewelry to a number of giveaways for some of my favorite blogs.
So, I finally decided that it is my turn to do a giveaway and to connect with some new friends. I was telling one of my customers the other day how I loved connecting with her, learning about her life and sharing with her. I learned some really neat stuff about her. My goal here is to get to know more people and to share with them what I have learned in my life travels. So here goes! If you would like to win this beautiful pair of mystic quartz, pearl and oxidized earrings, you need to:

• Leave a comment saying you became a follower for one entry
• Leave a comment on your favorite piece of jewelry from My Etsy shop for another entry
  
• Leave a comment saying that you became a facebook fan of Designs By Tahra for another entry
• Leave a comment saying that you twittered about my giveaway for another entry
• Leave a comment saying that you posted my giveaway to your blog for another entry
• Leave a comment saying that you posted my giveaway to your facebook for another entry
  

Now girls, here is a sure fire way to get what you want! Get movin', get bloggin', get twitterin', get commentin' and you are sure to win this pair of earrings! I am excited about my first giveaway. I can't wait to mail this gorgeous pair of gems to the lucky winner. I will close the contest on Sunday at Midnight. The winner will be posted on Monday April 19th in the morning. Thanks ahead for participating and please TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS!

Chicken Cobbler

Last night I tried one of my favorite chef's recipes. Her name is "Paula Deen". She is such an amazing woman for raising her children on her own and supporting herself with her own food business while incorporating her boys in her efforts. I just think that entrepreneurship is wonderful especially when sharing it with your children. That is what I am trying to do with my jewelry business. She has a new book out called Paula Deen's Savannah Style. It looks amazing! I just love Savannah, Georgia. It is such a beautiful place with amazing architecture and great places to shop and eat. Below is an amazing recipe that turned out fabulous. My family just gobbled this casserole up! I mean gobbled! You have to try this recipe. This was featured in Paula Deen's Magazine for the Jan/Feb issue. Enjoy!

Chicken Cobbler

From Cooking with Paula Deen, Jan/Feb 2010

Ingredients

1. 1⁄2 cup butter, divided
2. 1 cup chopped celery
3. 1 cup chopped carrots
4. 1 cup chopped onion
5. 1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
6. 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
7. 2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
8. 4 cups reserved chicken broth
9. 1⁄2 cup heavy whipping cream
10. 4 cups reserved chopped cooked chicken
11. 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
12. 11⁄2 teaspoons salt
13. 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
14. 2 (7.5-ounce) bags complete buttermilk biscuit mix (Bisquick)
15. 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
16. 1 cup whole milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400˚. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet, melt 1⁄4 cup butter over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrots, onion, and mushrooms; cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in peas. Set aside.
3. In a large Dutch oven, melt remaining 1⁄4 cup butter over medium heat. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, and cream, whisking until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until mixture is thickened. Add reserved chicken, celery mixture, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.
4. In a medium bowl, combine biscuit mix, cheese, and milk, stirring just until combined. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto cobbler. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown and cobbler is hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 - 10 servings

Featuring Janey Mac Wall Art

Today I would like to talk about an amazing shop on Etsy. I came across this Vinyl Wall Art shop called Janey Mac Press and wanted to share some of the beautiful decals that she has. Don't forget to bookmark her shop!

Right now, she is in the midst of moving her office and so she is offering a free bird decal for orders placed from April 8th-23rd. You can still place orders if you are interested. I thought I would show you some of my favorites! Here is an example of Scroll Art that she has used as a headboard. It is hard to see but this really is a bed. This can be art behind a couch or to make a statement in your bedroom as a headboard. So creative!

Take a look at this Damask Wall Pack. It has (6) 11 inch and (12) 5 inch decals. It comes in the color of your choice but don't you just love the white on black! Wow! Amazing!



This next decal is a Wrought Iron Oval Family Monogram. Wouldn't you love to have this at the entrance of your home? Can you imagine your family name in that oval?



I would love to have this laundry decal in my laundry room. Think about how it would jazz up your laundry room. My laundry room could sure use a makeover!



How about this amazing Bath decal with a scroll design. She has 35 colors to choose from. Each decal is made from high-quality self adhesive, and waterproof vinyl.



How amazing is this Block with Cherry Blossoms and A Bird? I just love her designs. I think Janey Mac Press Designs are just fabulous and are set apart from a lot of others on Etsy. I hope you will visit her shop and let her know that Tahra West sent you! Can't you see one of these in your home? How can you resist? I also want to mention that orders over 150 dollars will get 10% off. Her designs are so affordable. I love that about her shop!

Another Giveaway-Gorgeous Goblets

I just love the fun giveaways, don't you? I love to post them because I want my readers to have a part in entering to win "great things". Rie at Home and Harmony is having her very first giveaway! She is so cute, she says she's so excited! She is giving away a gorgeous set of drinking glasses. They scream spring with an adorable little bee embossed on the glass. You have to enter to win these precious glasses and while you are commenting on her giveaway, check out her site and become a follower. She is just precious!

Giveaway Day with "GUSSY"

Today is Giveaway Day with Gussy! She is going to have a giveaway which started at 6am today (Monday) and ends Tuesday at Midnight. All winners will be announced late-morning on Wednesday. All you have to do is leave a comment for each one of the giveaways and then you are entered for a chance to win! How's that for free! Don't miss out on this opportunity! Hope you win!

Mount Dora

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to treat my Mom, my niece and my kids to a fun day in Mount Dora. We ventured to the Garden Gate Tea Room. They serve tea in such beautiful feminine pots. I had the Famous Herb Crusted Rosemary Baked Chicken Pie. It was absolutely delicious! Now I know why they call it "Our Famous Baked Chicken Pie". The food was really fabulous there and I would not hesitate to go back. I especially liked the ambiance. I felt so feminine sitting around with all of the pillows and cozy decor. Here is a picture of the room that we ate in. Notice the fabric hanging from the wall and the white baby grand piano.

Now here is another picture of the room we dined in. Take a look at the lighted mirror above the fireplace and the trees in the room that have lights on them, not to mention that every chair had a pillow in it for comfort.

I just loved this buffet table that they used for the cold iced tea beverages. Isn't it just gorgeous! I wish I had that in my home!

How about this cozy seating arrangement with these comfy chairs right next to the fireplace! Two could have a romantic date in this Tea Room.

Then we walked around Mount Dora and went in a couple of shops! Mount Dora really caters to visitors and they love to have tourists! One shop that struck my fancy for spring was a shop called the Timeless Keepsakes on 4th Avenue. It is run by the Krill family and they had some of the cutest things for your spring decor. The first thing I saw as I walked in the door was the robin's eggs and the birdies. How cute! Can you find the butterfly pillow and the little rabbit? And don't forget the painted picture of flowers.

They had all kinds of candles and look at the precious little birdie! I especially enjoyed the letters that said family. It made me smile thinking that I had done something special with my family that day.

They also had every color, shape, and pattern that you could imagine to decorate your dining table regarding place mats. There were so many I couldn't count them.

I enjoyed the hanging beach candles. They had starfish and shells and I thought these were adorable decorations. Perfect for a nautical bathroom or for your beach cottage!

After browsing through the store and getting ready to leave, I spotted these adorable black bedroom hangers with vintage knobs on a black wooden plaque. What a great idea! I wanted to buy those but I thought they could easily be duplicated. How fun!

It was such a beautiful day outside for walking and we enjoyed the shops and the food tremendously. It is fun to be with family and to enjoy one another away from the hustle and bustle of home schooling and busy life! Have you taken your family somewhere special just to enjoy one another and the sights around you? If you are interested in the shop from Mount Dora, it is Timeless Keepsakes 128 West 4th Avenue Mt Dora, FL 32757-5558 and the phone number is (352) 383-1221. Don't be afraid to take a day off!

Dreamy Whites Annette Tatum Duvet Giveaway

Here is a view of her new catalog that has just come out!

I have recently learned of a blog called Dreamy Whites that is giving away a Queen size duvet cover. You just need to check out Dreamy White's blog and follow her directions to put your name into the drawing. I am excited, hoping that I might win. Who would have thought I would have won a blog makeover? So, ya just never know when you could win something totally unexpected.

That reminds me, I am going to be working on doing my own giveaway. Keep checking back! I am going to make a special piece of jewelry for my blog followers.

Take a look at this new book out by Annette Tatum called The Well-Dressed Home! You have got to take a close look at Dreamy Whites blog because she shows some fabulous pictures from this amazing book! Think of all that I could learn if I just had this book! http://www.dreamywhites.blogspot.com/

Martha Stewart

Today, I was browsing Martha Stewart and came upon these pictures that remind me of the "Dreamy Whites". Check out this gorgeous table that I found with just a simple bowl filled with water and a pretty flower. I thought, I can do that! I tend to make things so difficult. This is a simple remedy to adding a touch of spring to a pretty table!




Here is a wardrobe that has been dressed on the top with all of the empty vases and containers. I thought this was a super smart idea! Got any unused vases that you don't know where to place? Remember placement is a struggle for me. How about dressing this wardrobe up with cream paint! That is Shabby Chic for sure! Love it! Thanks, Martha Stewart!