Archive for the 'This & That' Category

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5 Year Diary

Published by Tara Sroka on January 28, 2011 in This & That. 0 Comments


I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my 5 Year Diary book by Tamara Shopsin. I know I’m slightly late as we are a almost  month into 2011 but I can catch up! I recently saw it posted on Michelle Ward‘s blog and thought it was a great idea. I keep track of my daily events with iCal but I have been wanting to document everything in a journal or book, so later on it’s easier to go through and this diary is perfect! This pint-sized 5 Year Diary helps you keep track of the next 60 months of your life in just a few lines a day. Each page of the diary is devoted to one day of the year and subdivided into five sections (each with its own space for notes), so that, as time goes by, past entries can be read as the new ones are written. The great thing about this diary is it can be started on any day of any year – even a leap year. In the back of the diary there are pages to record the books you’ve read and places you’ve traveled. Can’t wait to get it and I’ll keep you posted on how it goes with keeping up with it.

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2010 Year in Review

Published by Tara Sroka on December 31, 2010 in All About Me and This & That. 2 Comments

With 2011 right around the corner, this is the perfect time to recap 2010 and take stock of where you are and document all that happened in your life this year. Was a good year or it was it a challenging year?

A great way to capture the events of the year is by compiling all the special moments in a scrapbook. If you do this every year think about all the important memories you will have documented to remember. If doing a whole book is too much then think about doing a single scrapbook page with all the highlights of the year. There are some great templates out now to help you organize your thoughts and photos. Here’s just a few I’ve found to help you get started:

And if you simply want to remember everything but don’t have the time to create a special layout then make sure to jot down everything. I haven’t scrapped many of the 2010 highlights so I made a list:

2010 was a year of growth and acceptance for me. This year was all about rediscovering and redefining myself. It took some time to overcome some fears and issues but once I did the rewards were amazing! Putting yourself out there takes courage but when it pays off it’s all worth it. Even though 2010 was mostly a good year there were still sad moments too. I lost 3 very special people that I was blessed to have known. Marlene, Judi and Dixie I hope you rest in peace and you will forever be in my heart and memories.

I’m looking forward to whatever 2011 brings as I’m sure it’s going to be amazing – I just have a feeling! I wish you a wonderful New Year and I hope 2011 is everything you want it to be and more!

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Weekend Wrap Up: Martha Stewart Holiday Craft Sale

Published by Tara Sroka on December 6, 2010 in This & That. 1 Comment

This past Saturday I decided to attend the Martha Stewart Holiday Craft Sale, which is held at her magazine’s office. I had wanted to go last year but found out about it too late, so I figured I would make the trip this year. When I got there the line to get in way super LONG! I waited in the cold for about an hour and then an additional 20 minutes inside to get into the show. After all this time I was thinking to myself “This better be worth it!” Sadly it really wasn’t – there were some cool vendors there but nothing that inspiring. Plus it was so crowded to really look around and take it all in without fighting people in lines for free food samples. To justify my trip I ended up buying a jar of pickles my husband has been wanting to try. I also ran into 2 people I knew and discovered the Doughnut Planet is opening a new location closer to my apartment, so it wasn’t a total bust. Sorry, Martha but I won’t be attending next year but if you are curious you should check it out – just make sure to bring gloves, hat and a scarf!

And speaking of warm weather wear, Winter has finally arrived here on the East Coast. We were spoiled this Fall with such mild weather – I was getting used to it. I hate the cold weather of winter but I think it’s here to stay. We even just had a few flurries this morning, so maybe this will finally put me in the holiday mood…MAYBE!

Stay warm and I’ll be back soon – I have a few things lined up this week for you!!

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Me Today

Published by Tara Sroka on November 16, 2010 in This & That. 1 Comment

I saw this on someone else’s blog awhile ago and thought it was a fun idea.

outside my window… trees that all of a sudden look very “fall like”
i am thankful for… caffeine
i am wearing… comfy lounge clothes
noticing that…on gray days I feel very tired and blah
i am reading…just finished the help last night – not sure what the next book will be
on my mind…thinking of the things i need to do this week
around the house…is clutter i need to clean for some friends who are coming over this weekend for book club
from the kitchen…chocolate covered blueberries that i finished before
i’m creating…postcards to promote my children’s art books service
i’m listening to…new james blunt music
a few plans for the rest of the week… finish up some things for the Holly Berry Boutique I’m participating in and also starting Christmas shopping

What’s today for you? Sometimes making a small list like this is a great way to capture a moment in time.

Until next time,

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Happy Veteran’s Day!

Published by Tara Sroka on November 11, 2010 in Holiday and This & That. 0 Comments

Happy Veteran’s Day!!! Thank you to all who have served – past and present for fighting for our freedom. Today we honor and salute you!

Sorry I’ve been missing lately on here but I’ve been busy with client orders and designing stuff for Christmas. Don’t fear though – I’ll be back soon!

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Weekend Wrap Up: Anniversary Edition

Published by Tara Sroka on September 20, 2010 in John, This & That and Weekend Wrap Up. 2 Comments
This past weekend was a whirlwind of fun, food and celebration – our 5th wedding anniversary. We usually try to explore some part of NYC for this occasion and this year we planned on heading to Park Slope but unfortunately the surprise tornado changed our plans. Despite the change in plans we had a great weekend and here are the highlights:
  • The Meatball Shop: We saw this on Unique Eats on The Cooking Channel and HAD to go. The menu is pretty neat –  you select what you want with a marker and you have tons of choices. Our meatball selections were amazing but I think dessert was the best. My homemade mint ice cream sandwich (1 cookie was a brownie cookie and the other chocolate chip) was AMAZING!! This wasn’t like any type of mint ice cream I have had – made from real mint leaves. I can’t wait to go back there just to get this ice cream again. Just thinking about it makes me hungry!!
  • San Gennero Festival: Since we were in the neighborhood we figured we would at least check this festival out for abit. We aren’t big into crowds so we didn’t last long here. Some of the food looked good but it all started to look the same table after table. Fun to check out once but I’m over it. Sorry Little Italy, it’s just not my scene.
  • Williamsburg & Greenpoint, Brooklyn: Spent Saturday walking around these 2 fun neighborhoods in Brooklyn exploring the sights, sounds and streets. It’s hard to believe it’s just across the rive from us but you feel like you are a world away. We could literally see our apartment complex from the riverfront which was weird and cool at the same time. We enjoyed a really great day together exploring and taking photos.
  • Peter Pan Bakery: We decided to check out this place because Tina Fey said Peter Pan Donuts are the best in April’s Esquire Magazine. She was quoted saying, “The best doughnut? That’s Peter Pan doughnuts in Brooklyn. It’s a Polish bakery. We shot nearby once for 30 Rock. It’s a white-cream-filled powdered doughnut. And I really believe, when I first tried it, if I had a penis, I would put it in this doughnut. I finally understand what you guys are thinking about and what motivates you guys.” Now if that’s not a glowing review I don’t know what is. “I want to go to there” – so we went. We were hoping to get the donut ice cream sandwich but sadly they didn’t have ice cream BUT the donut was still awesome.
  • Blue Bottle Coffee: This coffee company was featured on FoodCrafters on The Food Channel and looked pretty interesting. So when we found out they had a store in Williamsburg we had to check it out. The coffee was fabulously rich and had a great taste. I would go there every day if they were closer, so that’s probably a good thing for my wallet!
  • Brooklyn Bowl: Another great find we saw on Unique Eats on The Cooking Channel. The food was amazing as well as the space. Very cool decor and design. It’s hard to come here and not bowl so we figured we should play a game. John totally whopped me though, so next time I come I need to be better prepared.
  • Artists & Fleas: Cool space where artists and sellers are displaying and selling there good. Came across some great artists, vendors and products. Here’s some of my favorites:

  • Flea Markets: I love flea markets and garage type sales and boy does Williamsburg have them! Didn’t buy anything but we saw some very cool old gems from the past at several places. We even saw the exact hutch we got rid of a few years ago that was my grandparents. Apparently it’s brother hutch found us!

  • TiMer Movie: Cute sci-fi romance movie we watched on Saturday. It was different and I liked it although I can’t say I was happy with the ending. That’s all I’ll say in case you see it but I’d recommend it.
  • Objectified Movie: From the same guys that brought us the fun documentary Helvetica comes Objectified, a documentary about industrial design. Objectified details the field of industrial design and its effect on our culture. This movie makes me pay closer attention to the objects that make up my life and made me realize that every object does have a story.

This weekend was great but I’m pretty tired and I think I gained 10 pounds from all the delicious food. And I took about 165 photos in 2 days which I’m still going through. I’ll try to post some of cool city scene on Flickr soon so look for some of them later this week or next!

Hope you had a fabulous weekend and a good week ahead!

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Wake UP!

Published by Tara Sroka on September 16, 2010 in All About Me and This & That. 0 Comments
I just recently saw the movie UP. I loved the deeper meaning to this movie and loved that it centered around scrapbooking. What I took away from the movie was – don’t focus all your attention on what you want to do all the time. Sometimes having a “bucket list” of the things you haven’t done yet can weigh on you. Let life take it’s course and treasure the things you have done. Find meaning and value in the everyday that makes things special.
Instead of making a bucket list (which is all fine and good) I encourage you to comprise a list of all the great experiences you have done already that make you YOU!

Here’s a small list I started of some cool things I’ve done although many of them have yet to be scrapbooked – eventually.

  • Attended the taping of several TV shows – Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Letterman, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Rachel Ray, The View, Will & Grace, The Martha Stewart Show
  • Been to the top of the Empire State building
  • Been to the top of the Statue of Liberty
  • Been and worked in the World Trade Center – Tower 1
  • Seen the Hoover Dam
  • Seen the Grand Canyon
  • Parasailed with my friend Rebecca in Turks & Caicos
  • Visited a run plant in Martique
  • Tried snorkelling
  • Almost got into a fight with Molly Ringwald on the street in NYC (although I’m sure she isn’t aware of this but she almost walked right into me and I almost yelled at her until I realized who it was. Still learn how to stay to the right when walking the streets of NYC Molly!)
  • Told Bobby Flay I liked his shirt while waiting for an elevator (its said “Still Hungry”, which I think is a new show he is doing funny enough)
  • Followed Britney Spears once into a costume jewelry store in SOHO on my lunch break from work
  • Visited the “Cheers” bar with my friend Dan in Boston
  • Rode The Cyclone several times in Coney Island
  • Honeymooned in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
  • Had a Nathan’s hot dog in Coney Island
  • Went to the 1st Advertising Week Walk of Fame Mascot Parade

So what are some of the things you have done and experienced that make you YOU?

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Weekend Wrap Up

Published by Tara Sroka on September 13, 2010 in This & That and Weekend Wrap Up. 2 Comments

Frame from Paislee Print at Oscraps.com

I am all about helping people capture their moments so I should share with you more of my on-goings as well. I know I show you layouts of things but these events usually are from the past and not so current. I’m going to try to do every Monday a weekend wrap up post for you to stay up to date. That’s assuming I have exciting weekend plans and fun things to share. I’m not always that exciting :)

This past weekend was a busy and fun one though. I attended a craft fair with some friends in Westchester for the afternoon. It was nice and inspiring to see many artists and their creations. It was a bit pricey for my budget and I didn’t get anything but I did find some great artists I would like to follow.
Here are some of them you might want to check out as well:

The craft fair was on the grounds as the Lyndhurst Castle which we decided to take a tour of. It’s a very cool castle from the outside but a little too much for my tastes inside. It was interesting though to hear about the history and see it first hand. All in all the afternoon was fun and time spent with close friends is the best.

We also enjoyed an awesome rock concert last night. My husband and I are big fans of the British band, The Alarm and we got to see them perform at The Highline Ballroom in NYC. We’ve seem then 2 other times but I think this third concert was the best since I know them much better now. I had a great time singing and bopping around. Even got a very cool tshirt to remember the show. I love concert tshirts – such a great remembrance of the show!
Great weekend and a busy week ahead – celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary, so lots of mini celebrations this week.
So, how was your weekend?
More soon,
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New Signature

Published by Tara Sroka on August 19, 2010 in Scrapbooking, Shout Outs and This & That. 1 Comment

Just testing out my new signature file – what do we think?? The lovely Lizzie from Fizzy Pop Designs did my doodle name and I added the camera from the new 9th & Bloom Collaboration Kit: Memories…Captured. I am really digging that new store and this new siggy. Hope you like and snag one yourself well you’re at it!

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True to Yourself

Published by Tara Sroka on August 15, 2010 in All About Me and This & That. 2 Comments


I was reminded the other day that the most important thing is: Be true to yourself! When people question your intentions and don’t get you, just know that if you are honest and true to yourself that is all that matters. Trust me, I know that is easier said then done but I’m trying to maintain a positive attitude in the face of opposition. This as well is not easy for me since these past two years have been tough and a real struggle. Last year I was extremely sick and burnout. It’s taken me awhile to realize who I am (an on-going process), what I’m doing (still developing that) and the life I want to lead (TDB). I’m not going to lie – it’s been a real journey and I don’t have any real answers but I know that in the end I have to be true to myself and stand up for what I need, want and believe in.

Some of my truths that make me ME!

  • I am a real down to earth person who doesn’t believe in being fake and saying things just for the sake of saying things.
  • I do what I say and mean what I do.
  • I am a planner.
  • I love cheesy girly movies and cry very easily at the sappy endings.
  • I love getting mail and the anticipation of checking the mailbox for something exciting.
  • I love cuddles with my niece and nephew and when they call me Aunt Tara.
  • I get scared easily and hate scary movies.
  • I judge books by their covers (I’m a designer, of course I do).
  • I love to buy arts and craft supplies but have a fear of using them but I’m working on this though.
  • I collect advertising icons and mascot figures.
  • I love flea markets and fabulous bargain finds.
  • I love that I hold my pen differently then everyone else.
  • I love making people happy with my artwork and creations.
  • I love giving people gifts, especially gifts I know are “perfect” for them!
  • I love looking through my old pictures from college and growing up.
  • I am a nostalgic person.
  • I am a perfectionist.
  • I love simple and minimalist design.
  • I think less is often more.
  • I believe in being humble and think arrogance shouldn’t be rewarded.
  • I love taking photos but don’t know much about the features on my camera.
  • I send lots of cards to people for special occasions.
  • I enjoy the music of Air Supply and accept all the teasing in the world for it.
  • I have a lot of passion for what I do in regards to my design and artwork.
  • I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve so to speak and am very honest.
  • I forgive but never forget because those experiences make you who you are.
  • I stress eat.
  • I like to sing out loud to my favorite songs.
  • I enjoy shopping as it relaxes me.
  • I enjoying texting but not a real big phone talker.
  • I really don’t like exercise or the gym. I’ve tried to like it but I really hate every minute of it.
I am flawed and not perfect but I’m doing the best to be me. This sometimes isn’t the easiest thing to be but I’m trying to remind myself everyday to be True To Myself and live the life I want to live. If others don’t see that well it’s their loss. Are you being true to yourself? Share with me and let me know and we can grow together. List journalling like I used above is a great way to capture lots of ideas, thoughts and information in a quick and easy way.

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