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My Valentines Inspiration

~Valentine's Fun~

Wooo hooo I totally am diggin' the photo mosaic tool, finally figured it out and you'll see a lot more of it :-) Sooo . . . some Valentine's love!

Yup just 2 weeks away ya'll get ready!


I am:

1) Making some fun goodies for my girls
2) Getting hubby some cute threads
3) Going to Matt Hires concert on a date with the hubby


Matt Hires on iLike - Get updates inside iTunes


4) Really wanting to see Valentine's Day there's like a million great actors/actresses in it, can't be that bad right?! :-)

Any of you have plans? Gift ideas? Fun lil things for your girls?


Share share share!

~Tamara Nicole~

Relaxing Weekend

Hope you all have a FANTABULOUS weekend!



This is the first weekend in seriously months that we have no required appearances, no plans, nada.



AND I'M SOOOOOOoooo excited!



Here's to spontaneous adventures with the hubby, craft time, maybe a bubble bath, maybe working out,
and date night:-) Whatever we want woooooo hoooooo.


~Tamara Nicole~






A few lovelies of the moment:

*Check out the lovely City of Dionne's treasury list HERE, includes many Valentine's Lovelies, and she included this of mine:
If you haven't seen her blog chk it out, one of my faves :-) *

*Also this hook was featured Friday on this cute blog "Ode to Blue"*


*My next lil Valentine's project I'm UBER excited about, will show you finished product soon*

*Getting "hair did" and my first business-y photo shoot downtown Seattle*

Random Tip from "Keeping Life Simple"
"Enjoy what's in front of you"
Sooooo simple yet important!!!

Some bi-niss excitement and fitness challenge progress

FIRST I have to say thank you for your words of encouragement, AND I'm sooo glad I'm not the only one and ya'll can feel me on this "muffin top" problem.


Photo ala flossy 22 on Flickr
(Seriously, type in muffin top and you get all kinds of funny pics! I heart Flickr!)

And Jill I love it, "baby pooch".  At least you have an excuse, a lovely child to show for it! :-)

So first my "fitness challenge" update: 
Yes it's been a WHOLE day . . . ha ha . . . BUT chk this out:
1) Went to gym last night and did crazy side ab and ab lifts.  My abs hurt sooo bad today I can't even laugh without it hurting!!! But it hurts so good, right??

2) I also ran 3 miles on the treadmill at the gym . . . and almost passed out!
Note to self: more cardio much needed!!!

3) At lunch today my wonderful, fabulous friend and co-worker Bekah and I went for a nice fast-paced walk up and down the hills by work, yup even broke a sweat.

4) To negate ALL of my hard work, they gave us each a box of See's Chocolates at work today.  Yum.  Seriously? My biggest weakness is dark chocolate.  Nope . . . didn't eat the whole box, but I'm positive I gained back the calories lost last night!!! I even tried to "hide" the box so I wouldn't see it, but it was calling my name like something fierce:-)

Awww well . . . you gotta enjoy life and live a little right?

So I've dragged my hubby into doing more abs tonight :-)

P.S. Looking up an inspiring ab photo and found this:


Ha ha and how to get the above:


On to Bi-niss!!!
A few fabulous-ness as of late for MBD:

1) A fellow blogger purchased one of my frames Monday, and even blogged about it! Love it, that's my first mention in a blog . . . I'm pumped! So Chk out Vintage Pretty's blog post Lovely Things.  She has a fun and romantic blog full of lots of eye candy!!!


2) I JUST got a message on Etsy, and there's a shop in Florida that wants to sell my items in their retail shop!!!!! Wha?! Sweet! I have some of my items up in a salon already here in WA, but that's my friend's salon.  This is my first "real" retail local!!!!! Hopefully the first of many right?! More exciting details soon :-)

3) I started up Memory Bean Designs kind of as a hobby last year, since I have been crafting as gifts for years.  Yet slowly, but steadily things are starting to pick up, and I am nearing my 100 sale mark on ETSY.  I told my hubby we have to have a HUGE celebration when I get to that point, only 8 more to go! AND at that point I'm going to do a give-way, my first one wooo hooo! So stay tuned.

4) Featured in this Etsy Treasury, chk it out Cute moss and cream items, lovely combo:-)

5) I JUST made my deposit on our booth at the Tacoma Holiday Gift Show, second year!!!  Kinda big Christmas shindig out here.  Did it last year and returning for more.
Our booth last year:

And we have many more great display ideas.  BUT am open to any suggestion!!!
Have a great night lovely ladies!!!
P.S. I'd love your tips on how you stay active and healthy:-)

My very own fitness challenge

So.  Some background about my "fitness". 

I have always been somewhat active. 

Back in school days (wayyy back in the day!) I was always playing sports year round.  I grew up as the skinny girl and could eat anything at all, no worries.  I think at lunches I ate pizza and fries (ewww yuck! Talk about healthy eating.  Now I'm a nut about it) with out a care in the world.

Then I stopped playing so many sports b/c I went through a phase that I was "too cool". Weirdo! Ha ha

So when I started going to college I was still in pretty good shape.  I've always had a gym membership since I was like 16.  BUT we all know that as we get older our metabolism slows. . . and it's not just over night, it's gradually. 

Like a thief in the night it snuck up on me.  I'm like 5'8.5" (yup gotta count every little bit! I used to round up but now I've come to terms:-).  I think over 4 years of college I had put on almost TWENTY pounds.  I wasn't fat at all, I didn't even notice any difference.  My jeans sure did!
eww


Sooo there's a happy ending!

Funny how things work out.  During that time, I was:

1)A little unhappy
2)In not-so-good relationships
3)Digging myslef deeper into debt
4)Going through the hard journey of finding myself
and
5)Working full time WHILE taking a full load of college courses at UW.

 We all know life can get hard at times, but it took a toll on my body.  Cramming for exams all night with coffee and sugar to keep me up.  No time (or $) to make healthy choices . . . or so I thought.

So . . . one day I decided to change things around.  I was unhappy in my bad relationship and decided I wanted more.  I joined with several ladies at the office in a "detox".  It worked GREAT! Not one of those dumb diets that you starve, and then gain it all back.  This detox jump-started my system. I lost 8 lbs the first 2 weeks.  Wooo hoo! So I continued for 2 more weeks, and then went back to a normal diet(with more healthy choices).  It taught me self control and some other important helpful diet pointers.

NEXT: I met Andy


Seriously like a month after my detox.  I swear that first 6 months of us dating flew by, I was on cloud 9.  It's funny how when you're happy; you don't need that extra serving of ice cream,  you don't need to snack while you're bored, you are more motivated to work out.  Hmmm funny.

So since then (geez it's been 2.5 years) I've dropped most of my fatty weight and have been back down to how I was in high school, you know like 9 years ago! Lol

Sooo yes I'm on the slender side, from super healthy diet choices, BUT I have this muffin top that I can't shake for the life of me!

THE GOAL
I took my measurements Sunday. My goal is . . . not to lose any weight . . . but to lose inches around my belly button.  To tone up. I hide it well so everyone thinks I am crazy, but come bathing suit season I finally want to be comfortable and not cover up my mid-section.  I am ready to be in the best shape of my life! Before we have babies I want to finally have that! Soo my motivation:

A NEW OUTFIT


May be an expensive outfit (for me) BUT I'll deserve it once I get there!!!


I'll keep ya'll posted. 
Ready.
Set.
Go!!!

Ughhh . . . getting a filling tomorrow


tooth extraction joke
Originally uploaded by starush
Grrr.

I have not had a cavity in like 10 years! I work in the dental field, I know better! I floss once a day, brush 3 times a day. A perfect patient right?! I guess wrong ;-)

I was in for a cleaning and they delivered the bad news . . . she was kind of smiling so I thought she was joking. No joke.

So wish me luck tomorrow! Ha ha

I'll be back tomorrow to talk about my wonderful weekend and my new big goal!!!

Have a great night:-)

Tamara Nicole

Pretty in Pink on Friday

Happy Happy Friday to you all!

Normally I am working away, straightening one smile at a time on Fridays, but once in a while they suprise us with a day off!!!!

Which makes me a VERY happy lady today. 

So I've been a'blog cruisin' all morning commenting away.  It's so fun to see what everyone has to say, I love it!

AND it takes a long time to catch up ha ha.

BUT this time around I promise to be a great blogger. It can be a good thing, or a bad thing, but I'm a very talkative person!!! Whcih caries over to blogging.  Lol I can't be quiet . . . ask my hubby.  So if you comment, I'll for sure comment back.  I absoltely LOVE to meet new lovely ladies on here that share common interests.
With that said, on to my topic of the day:

~PRETTY IN PINK~
Yesterday was my lil' sister Claire's 25th birthday!!! I know we fought a lot growing up, but who doesn't right?  Now I am proud to say we are the best of friends, and I am soo grateful to have her a big part of my life.  She JUST had an adorable daughter Keilani, and she's the most beautiful thing I've seen. I love being "Auntie Tammy" Good photos coming soon:-) Here's the parents:



Soooo tomorrow we are celebrating her birthday with the fam for a game night! So excited.  Part of her gift is this cute lil pink wallet (shhhh she doesn't read my blog . . . yet . . . so she won't know! Hee hee)



Which leads me to . . . my inspiration for my new Valentine's Line of items in my Shop!!!  I have all the rest of the day while my hubby's away at work to watch chick flicks, and craft away.  My inspiration: a few from Flickr, for rest chk my gallery:



















Happy Friday to all of my lovely ladies!!!

p.s. if you have a flickr add me here

Tamara Nicole

Mmmmm my suprise dinner with hubby and other great things . . .

~My Amazing Night~

What an amazing man I have! Awwww:-) ha ha . . . soo after a LONG day at work
(7:30 a.m.-6:50 p.m.), I am pooped and just want to relax and watch my Amercian Idol (cheesy= yes but I love it!) . . . not worrying about dinner at all.  Sooooo when I walk in the door, I am greated by . . . perfection!  My 2 adoable lil' dogs greet me at the door with wagging tails and excitement.  The lights are off, and all the candles are lit! Annnnndddd . . . .

My romantic dinner awaited me . . . along with a nice glass of wine, and some classical music:-).  Awww, yes we're so cheesy still we probably make people gag, but I SO LOVE THIS MAN!

Anywho, a few other lovelies for today:

~Recent Sold Items in my shop~


~A big SHOUT OUT to Etsy's mention in Real Simple's Feb~
Yup yup in "Trends Worth Trying", there was a photo from Heather Palmer's Etsy Shop, and she's had a ton of sales since then.  Heck yes, let's get Etsy known all over:-)

~Fun quote for day~
"Think of your life as a book, with yourself as the main character.  Everyone and everything else is secondary.  Write your life story the way you want it to play out"

I LOVE this quote and it's my inspiration for 2010!!!  Not to be selfish, but I have lived my life for everyone else for so long, always putting myself on the bottom of my to-do lists.  So now it's my time! Heee heee.

Night ladies!!!!

Tamara Nicole

Corey Monteith in 'Killer Bash' (2005)



Who Knew?
Glee's Corey Monteith was in the 2005 David Decoteau flick 'Killer Bash'. Decoteau often gets a lot of flack but I have enjoyed his films, especially back when they were the only films with gay content you could get at the video store. Thanks to Bill for the download.






Just Because: Scott Brown


I don't dislike Scott Brown but I certainly did not want him to win. Am I angry or upset he won....Yes, but not because he did it, but because the Democrats blew this one big time. I am also worried what it will mean for Health Care.

Male Model Of The Day: Brian Goeringer



I first saw Brian Goeringer when he was modeling for Abercrombie and Fitch. Although his shots by Bruce Weber were great, it was not until his work with Tony Duran for Flaunt that I really took notice. Brian showed himself more than a cute Abercrombie guy with the edgy spread that showed that he is a risk taker. He also looked amazing and you could tell he takes his work very seriously. Brian's agency PMK models says 'Brian Goeringer is that guy who walks into a room and just livens up the place without caring who's there or what's going on. Him and his funny laugh and his cockeyed smirk are what's going on.' Brian is a full time student at Penn State and usually only models during his breaks. You can see a bit more of Brian at PMK HERE:



Brian Goeringer
Stats:

Height: 6'1"
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Hazel
Suit: 40L
Shirt: 16.5x35
Waist: 32
Inseam: 32
Shoe: 12






Below: Brian by Bruce Weber.



Below: Brian's shoot with Tony Duran.