kitchen inspiration

i have some really exciting news to share, and if you follow me on instagram, you already know what it is!

some of you may remember the almost house and all my dreams for it from two years ago... a few days away from closing escrow we backed out of our dream home. we wanted to make sure that our finances were in order before committing to home ownership. well, another opportunity to buy a home has come to us and we are taking it! we put the down payment and signed all the paperwork yesterday! i'm so excited! this new house will be a downsize for us, but we are excited about it. we're losing about 300 square feet and we will feel it most in the dining room area. in fact, there is no dining room. we will need a small 4 person round table to fit into the kitchen. until we can upgrade a few years from now i will be storing my beautiful 8 person table in the garage.

well, i'm back to dreaming and since i am such a high dreamer, an inspiration board was necessary. here is my vision for my smaller but still stylish and highly functional kitchen & dining space.

after seeing this inspiration board i completely fell in love and felt like it was just "ME". i call it modern rustic. what would you call it? so here is my own spin on it, i hope my husband feels the same! haha.

1//i just love the colors in this print, i think it will pick up some of the colors in the curtains for the living room, which is REALLY close by 

2//getting the most out of the drawer and cabinet space will be high priority, and i would love to also make it pretty with this bamboo drawer organizer

3//another print from the same designer, love it

4//i think 2 of these pendant lights would e pricey but also look amazing over the bar separating the living room and kitchen

5//and this pendant light would be just as amazing over the dining table

6//the turkish tea towels are all cotton and apparently super soft

7//these knit bags would make a fun twist on a fruit bowl

8//rustic cutlery with wood details ties in all the warm tones

9//4 faux sheep skin rugs at such a good price draped over the dining chairs would be so comfy

10//there really isn't anywhere to store our large plastic (read: ugly) trash cans, so i wouldn't mind this pretty tin one being in full view

11//i'm totally addicted to enamel cookware right now, and West Elm has such a pretty line right now

12//cabinet space will be pushed to it's limits so a little extra storage couldn't hurt

13//this cowhide rug would be a splurge, but i really good one!

14//more enamel ware, LOVE!

15//i have loved these chairs for a long time!

16//this is such a good price for a tulip table

17//this rifle paper print would look lovely with the other two

so what do you think? what color should the walls be? i love bold colors but i have a lot of bold accents (like aqua and emerald green)... so many things to consider when you can actually make big changes in your own home! i'm sure you'll being seeing more inspiration boards in the weeks to come. 

any since my birthday is coming up in less than two weeks (and Christmas!!) you can consider this my wish list. wink. 

xo, tara

monday inspiration: beautiful baubles

happy monday everyone! i am currently smelling my dinner for Life Group tonight that has been in the slow cooker for 16 hours whilst eating a chocolate cupcake. weird combo. 

anyway, i wanted to share with you my recent obsession in modern rings, organically shaped with natural stones. its kind of all the rage right now, but i have been loving this style for several years and wonder if it's something i want to commit to. 

my current wedding set is a simple thick white gold band and a solitaire princess cut diamond. classic but i haven't been loving it since i had kids, almost 6 years ago! the diamond sits too high on the band and the sharp edges constantly scratch my kids or snag my clothes. 

it's a beautiful diamond, but doesn't really have any sentimental value other than the fact that it's the ring we got married with. (i ordered it through a friend of my boss's at the time who was a diamond importer and he shipped it fedex. the first time my husband saw it i was already wearing it!) 

have i told you this story already? i feel like i have. maybe it's cause its on my mind so much lately. 

No.1} dangarang. maybe if i just get a new setting and turn the diamond on it's side so its just a little "different"?? 

No. 2} so lovely and simple. (similar) 

No.3} this would be a good right hand, index finger ring. certain rings just need certain fingers. 

No. 4} THIS ring makes my heart stop. (no original site found for link)

No. 5} charming and natural. (no original site found for link)

No. 6} organically shaped and stunning. although it looks like it could slice you open if angled right.... hmmm.

No. 7} the perfect signet ring.

No. 8} again, heart stopping. 

so, based on this little gathering of things that are equally slaying me and calming me with utter serenity, i feel like at least a new setting would suffice. 

what's your opinion? 

the original classic or a modern twist?

love, tara

cross back chairs

i love these chairs. 

cross back chairs 

aaaaaaaaand, my birthday is coming up. so if anyone wants to get me 6 that would be great. 

happy friday!

tara

Monday Inspiration: Modern Quilts

Happy Monday! to start your week out i thought it'd be nice if i loaded you up on some color! i'm currently in the process of picking the quilt pattern for two quilts for Big A's room (he has bunk beds) and the pictures of quilts i'm considering are nice and vibrant. i originally was going to just do straight strips across the whole quilt, since its so simple and wouldn't be too time consuming. but after seeing all these beautiful patterns i'm rethinking that plan. 

maybe you can help me work it out? i'm not an expert quilter, so i'm looking for something that will not be labor intensive. i will be machine quilting the entire thing (it would take me YEARS to hand stitch a whole quilt, i just know it), and i am using one solid color of aqua for the top, one solid color of brown for the bottom and a white border all the way around.

No.1} i love the large scale pattern of this one, i think being so large would keep it at a pretty beginner level? 

No.2} oh man. this is a beauty.

No.3} i think this triangle pattern is my favorite. but i think it actually might be the colors that are drawing me in and not the pattern? i can't tell. 

No.4} i like this one because even though it's solid, the stitching has interesting detail. 

No.5} straight strips in a visually appealing layout. this one is easy but different.

No.6} i'm looking at this one more for the way the fabric is cut, the stitching is WAY too detailed for me. it's beautiful though!

No. 7} this one has another fun but easy arrangement.

No. 8} this one is more labor intensive, but i think i could do it. 

so what do you think? which one is your favorite? can you visualize any of these patterns just solid aqua? 

thanks guys!

tara

father's day gift inspiration round up

hey guys. father's day is in A WEEK. are you ready? 

i'll be honest. i'm not. its been nuts around here. it was the last week of school for Big A *tear* and that was filled with extra activities and his final ceremony on the last day. then we got slammed with a crazy cold. i feel like i'm on the verge of sneezing ALL. DAY. you know, watery eyes, a tickle in your nose... but sneeze never comes. good times.        not. 

noooOOOWWWwww, we're getting ready to pack for 4 weeks at HumeSD. 

SO. MUCH. GOING. ON. 

but my husband is soooo special and i want to make sure he doesn't feel forgotten in the midst of all the craziness. he has been at the forefront of my mind, and making him feel honored on father's day. 

so i've been compiling inspiration for father's day gifts and i thought i'd share my favorite ideas from some of my favorite blogs. 

(via)

i've got to say, this is my favorite. i've been wanting to get my husband a record player for quite some time. him being a musician limits his hobbies to buying expensive music equipment, which doesn't happen very often... so i thought this would be another great musical avenue for a hobby!

(via)

this is just rad. as is everything on this blog. i love the detail and thought put into this. and what man wouldn't want to know how to properly tie an ascot?

(via)

for the dad who loves wine. my husband is not a drinker, but my own dad loves to relax at the end of the day with a glass. such a fun way to make it special.

(via)

a love note journal for the man who's love language is words of affirmation... which is pretty much every man. 

(via)

we have family movie night every week in our home and it's something i know my husband treasures, why not make in into a great gift?!?! such a cute idea.

(via)

what a great way to take something necessary and make it something special. 

(via)

 more words of affirmation, and you could even include notes from the kids (or tiny drawing from the ones who can't write yet!) in such a cute little package.

(via)

i put a package similar to this together for all the dads in my family a few years ago. it was a big hit!

here's the inspiration board i created for father's day last year.

oh how i would love to speak to my husbands heart in ALL of these ways! now to choose just one. 

ugh, so hard. 

what do you have planned for your dad or baby daddy??!! haha

love tara!

always adoring: pretty polka dots

happy spring! 

i'm so excited for spring! spring is such a great time of year, with all the beautiful flowers blooming and color entering back into the world. i always get a tad depressed come winter because everything dies and turns all gray. i love color.. and when color goes away a little piece of me goes with it. spring is like my heart waking up again!

another reason i love spring is because it ushers in summer. i love summer. more than spring. i'm looking forward to summer break with my son after his first year of school. i can't wait to spend all day everyday with him! no school to dictate our routine, just having fun swimming, camping, beaching...but lets not get ahead of ourselves. 

back to spring. i know i should be posting an inspiration board about all the ways you can decorate an egg for Easter, or my favorite floral prints - and maybe i will later - but honestly, right now, i'm LOVING polka dots. 

i.just.can't.get.enough.

here are a few that are inspiring me now.

No.1} i know this isn't EXACTLY a polka dot pattern, but its circular and fabulous. get it on my finger. 

No.2} this dress is adorable for little a. it would be a great Easter dress, and i would love one for myself... twinners? 

No.3} classy and fun tumblers, right here. 

No.4} orrrrrr.... i could wear THIS for Easter. or everyday. even when i'm sleeping. mkay. 

No.5} these little bobby pins are perfect for growing out bangs. 

No.6} if the idea of scalding my mouth weren't an issue, i would drink tea straight from this tea pot. that's how much i love it. 

No.7} i have this mug and i drink all liquids from it. all day. it's heavy, feels wonderful texturally in my hand, and makes my eyes happy. i should probably have more than one.

No.8} how am i living without this sweater?

No.9} i'd love to see this wallpaper in my bedroom, or wrap myself in it like a blanket. 

ok. so i'm seeing a lot of gold. and i'm feeling a little weird about it because i can vividly remember the day (back in the late 80's early 90's) when white gold was all the rage and i decided as a young girl NEVER to love gold. and it's creeping in on me. why do i want it in my house? where i can see it all day? because i like it now. maybe love. not sure. 

what about you, do you prefer silver to gold or vise versa? 

anyway, random tangent. 

i hope you have a great first day of spring!

love,

tara

always adore: love, sweet love

how long has it been since i've done an inspiration board? oh snap, FOREVER!

i forgot how much i love it. 

well, here it is. i'm jumping on the "another holiday is approaching so i better do a round up of all things related blog post" train and posting about some things i like to look at/ wear/eat/make for the particular holiday of Valentine's day. which has never held any special place in my heart, until i had kids and had another reason to decorate the house. 

No.1} if eyeballs could smile, this picture would make mine grin from ear to ear. what, that doesn't make sense... oh well. you get it. i like to look at these little vintage clip arts. you can download them free and have smiling eyeballs too. 

No.2} i may or may not make up a story about cupid eating one of our apples in the shape of a heart for my kids the morning of. 

No.3} heart garland. yes. 

No.4} i wouldn't mind looking at these pretty stacking rings on my fingers forever and ever. 

No.5} the perfect everyday necklace. 

No.6} i love these straws, but i would have trouble actually using them for fear of them getting damaged. oh no. i will be that old lady with plastic covers on her couches when i'm old. 

No. 7} dang. marbles red velvet cheesecake brownies sound like sweet sweet goodness to me. not even close to paleo. 

No.8} these Valentine's would be cute for my daughter to give her little friends. 

No.9} and i'm crushing over these Valentine's for my son to bring to all his friends at school. 

what? a box of nuts and chews from See's Candy didn't make it onto my inspiration board. well, that's a given. i will take a box, if you don't mind. then i will eat them all in one day and call it a cheat day from paleo. and i will go into a sugar coma with a smile on my face, while my teeth rot. 

do you have kids in school? what do you usually hand out for Valentine's day? i'm new to this and super exited... but don't want to go over board and make Big A be THAT kid whose mom made all his valentines. 

but i kinda do. 

kisses,

tara

always adoring: shabby apple dresses

happy second day of autumn!!!

you may or may not have noticed the Shabby Apple link in my sidebar. i recently became an affiliate and wanted to give you some inspiration on how i would wear two of their dresses.

i've always loved gingham, so you can imagine my excitement when not only did i find out that gingham is TOTALLY the new print for fall, but that Shabby Apple has the cutest shirt dress ever. i would wear this outfit to Thanksgiving, church, or to help in my little guy's classroom. eeek. i love it so much. 

No.1} Shabby Apple overboard blue and white gingham dress

No. 2} these shoes are RIDIC. i would never take them off my feet.

No. 3} this bag is a little more on the '80's side than i'm normally willing to go, but for some reason it sings to my heart. 

No. 4} everyone needs a yellow cardi for autumn. 

i love stripes and this looks casual enough to wear to the park with my kiddos. or on a hot date with my man. or on a yacht.

No. 1} Shabby Apple kelly green and navy stripe dress

No. 2} such a classic bag. 

No. 3} this jacket is sooooo pretty.

No. 4} i know i already said classic as a descriptive word for no.2 but these shoes are soooo classic. or timeless, yeah... that's it. TIMELESS. 

i've never bought a dress from the 

Shabby Apple site before, but as soon as i need one for a special occasion i'm heading there first!

which is your favorite?



love,
tara

switching it up

last night i made a few changes to the blog. i added some photos of my fam over in the side bar -----> and some "about us" text. while i think what she said is true of most parents of young children, i must give credit where it is due. i was heavily inspired by a young mom in the blog world, whom i have never met, that i pray for regularly. i stumbled upon her a couple years ago for some cute crafty thing she made and have been a regular reader since. i love her humble heart. as the years have passed her life has taken some unsuspecting turns. if you'd like to read her story and join me in praying for her you can click on the link i provide below. 

having 5 kids, i think Megan Russell said it best, over on her blog Night Song. 

"one day there will be no…
living room floor strewn like an obstacle course with legos.
trail of flip-flops littered from front door to stairs.
shoulder of my shirt smeared with cheeto stained fingers.
juice spills on the freshly mopped kitchen floor.
grimy handprints adorning the door frames.
sticky fruit snacks and graham crackers ground into the car mats.
middle of the night interruptions for bad dreams. or water. or snuggles.
noses being wiped on my leg.
made-up songs and stories bombarding for my attention.
fights to break up over who had what first.
songs to sing to sleepy little heads in bed.
car seats to buckle. and unbuckle.
boogers smeared on the walls.
complaints of “i don’t like this…” at mealtime.
whiny voices clamoring for snack-time.
bottles to fill in the middle of the night.
wiggly teeth to be lost. and hidden under pillows.
tangled hair to comb through and braid.
diapers to change. bottoms to be wiped.
scraped knees to pray for. and kiss. and bandage up.
little voices calling my name through the house.
funny stick people art and comic strips drawn just for me.
interruptions while i’m in the bathroom.
stories to be read. and told.
bikes+scooters being ridden in the kitchen. and over my toes.
new stunts or creations to be admired.
little people smothering me on the couch during movie time.

and i will miss it so. every little thing.
may i savor each detail while it is here and now.
oh. how much richer my life is because of them."

xoxo, tara

Always Adoring: family room couch vote

that's right. i said Always Adoring. yes, i realize they both start with A's. i can't help myself. there are two things i love most in life (not ANYWHERE close as much as my family... and yellow cake...but still) and they are alliteration and matching. hence the reason i'm always trying to make up blog titles that are so cutesy aaaaand i like my eye shadow to match my sweater, and earring, and purse. BARF! i can't help it. so you better get used to it. 

so now that i'm over planning out all the decorations for our {possibly} new kitchen... Lord willing... i'm on to the next inspiration for our {possibly} new family room, below.

view from hall entry

 ok. first things first. if this place becomes our sweet baby the first thing i'm gonna do, after painting, is chip away at those hideous '90's contemporary tiles. ick. some people like them, i do not. 

view from kitchen

 i would really prefer to have something classic, and timeless. also, something that will give it long lasting appeal, way after we're gone. something like white glass subway tile. yeah, that's it. 

via

view from back doors

since it isn't a ginormous room, i think it would be best to get a smallish couch and two chairs flanking the fireplace. the (currently non-existent) flat screen T.V. would be mounted over the fireplace to save precious floor space. one thing i know for sure, besides how much i hate the tile on the fireplace, is that i want to paint the room a dark teal color. living in apartments my whole life (read: WHITE WALLS EVERYWHERE!!!) i would like to go bold and rich. so you will have to visualize all the items below against a darker palette. going so dark means the options for furniture need to be on the lighter side. i've narrowed it down to two options. 

without further adieu.... i give you GRAY COUCH vs. TAN COUCH. dun. DUN. DUN.....

i luh-huv this room. i almost didn't do a tan couch version cause i just loved this one so much. it's sophisticated and playful. 

No.1} these curtains would be nice and airy hung over the french doors leading to the pool. plus, it would be a nice contrast to the darker wall. 

No.2} i feel like this cardboard taxidermy would make it feel more casual as opposed to the formal living room. 

No. 3} i love this print. 

No. 4} and this print.

No. 5} and this print.

No. 6} gray couch. cheap and washable. yes please!

No. 7} i love this pillow. 

No. 8} and this pillow. 

No. 9} and this pillow. 

No. 10} dreamy chair. dreamy, dreamy chair. 

No. 11} i would paint something like this white.

No. 12}  playful rug. not so expensive i would cry over spilled milk either.

once i finished the board for this room, i loved it just the same. they're like my children. how can you admit to loving one more? now i can't choose. this one is more on the eclectic side and still playfull... but it all looks so nice together. 

i. love. color. 

No. 1} these curtains are like the sunshine.

No. 2} i think i just love this cardboard taxidermy, and i don't care who knows it. 

No. 3} Wizard of Oz was one of my favs growing up. this print is one of my favs.

No. 4} this print is so bright and graphic.

No. 5} um, i love California. can you tell?

No. 6} tan couch. still cheap. still easy to clean.

No. 7} i love this pillow. 

No. 8} and this pillow. 

No. 9} and this pillow. 

No. 10} the name of this chair is "cute-as-a-button". true story.

No. 11} i love polka dots. i love polka dot rugs.

No. 12} pretty. pretty. pretty.

ok guys. which is your fav? 

xoxo,

getting-in-wayyyyy-over-my-head-cause-we-haven't-even-closed-yet-tara

Smitten Saturday: Back-to-School

yeah, i know my "business blog" had a weekly inspiration board called Smitten Saturday... but i really want to have one for this blog, too. but, i like doing it on Saturdays but i don't know what to call it. so for now, until i can figure something else out, i'm just gonna have two Smitten Saturdays... one here and one there. do you have any suggestions for what it should be called on Always Underfoot? hmmm....

anywho. 

my son will be starting Kindergarten on Monday. what the!?!? i know, i don't look a day over 20 and i have a kid starting school. crazy. but for reals, i am kind of freaking out. it's a mixture of emotions really. like, should i have home schooled? will he be cool? are there going to be bad boys that he will be attracted to that will badly influence him? can he flush the toilet after using it at school? is he too young, should we have waited a year? what if he's bored? 

ugh. 

let's revisit that "will he be cool?" question. i think about that one A LOT. i know it's shallow, but i do. i was NOT cool at all, so i want him to be cool. but not so cool he has a chip on his shoulder. he needs to be the right level of cool... like show choir cool. like me. show choir made me cool. ok, i was kind of cool, but not cheerleader cool. yeah, that would be good. 

wowzers. maybe i wasn't as cool as i thought i was. 

anyway, i love it when little boys are stylish and if i had the means i would buy him all this stuff. also, his birthday is coming up so if any of my family is reading this consider it a wish list. (obviously this stuff is pricey, but you get the idea!) wink!

No.1} stylish kicks. 

No.2} loving the layers on these boys. i just want to pinch their cheeks!

No. 3} coolest boy umbrella i've ever seen.

No. 4} this is adorbs. minus the chin strap for a big boy. but does it look too much like a bonnet?

No. 5} my mentor started a tradition of throwing a back-to-school party for her boy and i really want to do it too. and i think mine will look like this. 

No.6} these shoes are rad. 

No. 7} love stripes. love this backpack. 

No. 8} i also want to start a tradition of taking a "first day of school" picture each year. Blonde Designs blog has a free printable.

No. 9} one can never have too many shoes. never. 

No. 10} i basically want to dress my son head to toe Crewcuts. (if anyone from Crewcuts happens to be reading my blog *crossing fingers* and wants to send me free clothes i would happily oblidge!) hahahaheeeeheee ehhh. 

welp. there you have it. all my style dreams for my son. 

do you have a child starting school for the first time this year? crazy how time flies, huh? happy Saturday!

kiss kiss,

tara

Wisdom

i feel exactly like this. and have for several years.

so encouraging.


Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

maybe i should start making a new invitation suite every month... just to make it.

Smitten Saturday: little a's room

whew. this has been a crazy day! 

today was my youngest's birthday, and we spent all day making special memories just for her. in honor of her special day i am doing a Smitten Saturday about all the things that are inspiring me for her big girl room make-over. she turned 3 so we want to get her out of her toddler bed and make all her crazy furniture match! 

so, here you go!

No. 1} mmm. pretty granny squares.

No. 2} EVERYTHING this girl does for her blog is RIDIC. especially her own daughter's room. i just want to move in. 

No. 3} this delicious poster of California is my fav for 2 reasons: 1) i love CA, 2) the colors are tasty.

No. 4} i like the idea of using a string of lights as a night light. it's so enchanting.

No. 5} mmmmore granny squares!!!

No. 6} this makes me want to change my name to Wanty McWanterson. 

No. 7} such a sweet little library, don't you think so Leah?

No. 8} i love the wall art, perfect for a little girl's room! and that bed! oh. 

No. 9} can you tell i love granny squares? ha!

No. 10} cutest.

No. 11} such a pretty shade of pink for that dresser. 

No. 12} if i can't find a good metal headboard for her twin bed i may just go with one made of pallets and a door like this.

No. 13} my girl loves tea, and i love these colors. perf!

No. 14} i'm sure she would love to see her name in lights yarn.

No. 15} (um, what was SUPPOSED to be no. 15... i guess i forgot to number it!) i would love to do a dollhouse make-over for the one from my childhood. maybe someday. 

No. 16} ACK! why is it so pretty!? and EASY!??!?!

did you miss Smitten Saturday? i DID! i love putting together inspiration boards and seeing all the pretty things i love in one place. it makes my eyes feel good.

here is a little peek are LOTS of pictures from her day of celebration!

 starting out the day right, with a mountain of whipped cream a well rounded meal!

 first bike. {stop growing little love, just for a bit.}

 dressed up for a proper tea party at The Victoria Rose.

 tea, scones, devonshire cream, lemon curd. dang.

 then we came home and had a balloon party. 

and i made the best strawberry cake there ever was on the face of the earth ever ever. 

 and of course we had to tap into our mexican side and partake in a little pinata violence. (sidenote: why do they make pinatas out of your favorite character? i don't understand why anyone would think that a little kid who loves Dora is going to want to get all her friends together and beat her with a stick!) 

 and now she's 3. for some reason this was a hard one for me. i love my children but i think this signified that i no longer have any babies. both my kids are big kids now. 

my, how time flies. i hope i am treasuring it as much as i think i am. 

what is making you smitten this Saturday?