handmade wreaths.

it's almost christmas! this means the following:

1. i am finished with my first semester of grad school, and i am expecting a 4.0 gpa. (i'll post the fruits of my labors later.)

2. i am spending the next few weeks in indy with my family and will soon be in the beautiful tennessee mountains with even more family!

3. i have time to read, make treasures, and probably watch some terrible reality shows since i have access to a tv. maybe i'll even have time to post on this humble lil blog more often.

i wanted to share some fun projects from my TU bffs. you know! these girls:

stacey, brittany, and abby

when they came to visit me in bloomington in november, they fell in love with some handmade wreaths on etsy that used yarn and other pretties to make them...pretty. little did i know they would all soon get to work, creating their own holiday wreaths and sharing photos with me. such creative little guys!

abby's wreaths: 

 britt's wreath:

stacey's wreath:

sometimes there is nothing more relaxing than a fun, simple craft that you can personalize any way you want. i'm so proud of my bffs for taking it upon themselves to create these little masterpieces. 

what will you make this christmas? 

vote for MWH.

this semester i have been working on two projects regarding domestic violence -- one is a series of feature-length articles, and one is an analysis of NYT coverage since the late '70s.

for one of them, i get to volunteer at Middle Way House, a shelter / transitional housing facility for survivors of domestic violence and their children. i have learned a lot through my research, interviews, time spent at Middle Way, and also through my friend kevin who is the coordinator of children's programs. this organization and social issue as a whole has become near and dear to my heart.

the pepsi refresh project is based on votes. i posted about it a while ago when Homespun was applying for a $5,000 grant. through the voting process, Homespun received the money and has since opened their shop, so i know firsthand that the pepsi refresh project is legit.

now that Middle Way House is in the running for $250,000, i want to try to help as much as i can. maybe you will, too? if you have a second, you should vote. it really does make a difference! this agency is an important part of the bloomington community and can do even more groundbreaking work through their transitional businesses (which employ MWH residents), save money by investing in solar energy technology, and provide shelter for more women and children in need if they receive this grant. you can vote every day until december 31st.

(thanks, friends.)
love, tarabee.

christmas crafts.

for the past few months, i've been spending my tuesday nights with some of the best people in town. in the state. in the...universe. it's a huge blessing to be welcomed in as a lonely little loner and spend time with new pals.

last night we made ornaments for tim/carrie/josh's christmas tree. carrie brought over a giant box of supplies (!!), and we all got to work. here's what we came up with: 

carrie and her double rainbow (all the way) jesus and professional silhouette cutout.

sam's snowflake. and sam's adorable self.

josiah's christmas tree for the christmas tree. wait a minute...

worky worky. crafty crafty.

colleen's homage to her totally awesome cat, jose.

will's origami eskimo, koala, and something that is not a penguin but looks like a penguin.

craft factory '010.

josh's santa rocket ship delivering toys to the moon.

kevin's advent pyramid and awkward kindergarten school picture face.

my sticky stocking. i had a mega glue disaster.

i'm glad i got to participate in a christmastimey decoration party because i didn't bring any of my christmas decorations back to bloomington with me. i guess this year i'll just be a plain jane. but it doesn't mean i don't have christmas spirit. remember: the best way to spread christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.