Olive Garden Review & Giveaway!

Hi all! Today I am posting a review for Olive Garden (make sure to read till the end of the post, there is a special giveaway for Tea Rose Home readers by Olive Garden!)

When I got the offer to do a review for them I squealed with joy! Olive Garden has been one of my favorite restaurants for years. When Mr. TRH and I were newlyweds we didn't have much money to eat out. It was "THE" restaurant to go to for special occasions. After we have been married for so many years with three kids, Olive Garden is still our favorite restaurant.

I love their comfortable and friendly atmosphere. To me, it is a nice restaurant that I want to dress up for a little, but it's not so fancy we can't take our kids. In fact, they offer a great selection & quality on their Kid's Menu, and I love their kiddie cups with lid, and the crayons & paper keep them busy while we wait for the food.

When I received the offer to do the review, the first people that popped in my head to take (besides the whole clan that lives under our roof) were my father and mother-in-law. I have been getting multiple procedures since October last year every three weeks or so, and sometimes it takes a week or more to recover. They have been such a wonderful support to our family during those times, picking up the kids from school the day of the procedure and keeping them for 2-3 days so I can rest better. My kids absolutely LOVE spending time at grandma and grandpa's, and I am so grateful they are so willing to help us. So, all seven of us went out to celebrate our "family". :)

My mother-in-law. Isn't she lovely?

At Olive Garden they are offering a new dinner special for $12.95. It is a 3 Course Italian Dinner. The 1st course is soup or salad...

Everyone's favorite bread sticks

Our favorite soup Zuppa Toscana. Did you know those breadsticks and soup/salad are unlimited?

2nd course is one of 5 new and exciting entrees...I really had a hard time choosing one, but being a seafood lover I had to choose Five Cheese Marinara Penne with Shrimp.

Mmm...I loved the sauce and the baked panko on top adds extra touch of flavor and texture

Wow, Mr. TRH took a picture right after I took a huge bite

3rd course is one of 5 Dolcini desserts. We all ordered different ones so we could taste most of them. What I love about their Dolcini desserts is their portion size. Usually I am too full to order a dessert after eating a dinner. They are just so perfect to end the meal on an even happier note. :)

I must say that my favorite is Dark Chocolate Cake. Are you in the mood for Chocolate mousse and caramel cream?

We enjoyed each other's company and spending time together with yummy food. Oh, wait; there are other happy makers my kids always look forward to. The mint chocolate. :)

So, that was my $12.95 3 Course Italian Dinner experience. Is your mouth watering? The special is running through March 18th so there's still plenty of time to try it! Are you ready to enter a special giveaway?

Olive Garden and BlogHer are giving away a $100 Olive Garden gift card to one of my Tea Rose Home readers!

To be entered for a chance to win, leave me a comment telling me your favorite course-breadsticks and soup, the main entree, or dessert?

Here are the rules:

No duplicate comments.

This sweepstakes runs from 2/21/12 - 3/18/12.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment (see question above in bold)

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

So, make sure to come back to see if you won the gift card. Good luck everyone!

Also, visit the Olive Garden page on BlogHer.com to check out the other blogger reviews and more chances to win!

Tea Rose Home Thanksgiving Giveaway

This is the 3rd Thanksgiving giveaway at Tea Rose Home. Because of the many things that have happened in September and October time flew by so quickly and I didn't plan the giveaway very well. Usually I would start the giveaway a week early and announce the winner on Thanksgiving day, but this year, I am going to start the giveaway the day before Thanksgiving and run it till Tuesday the 29th and announce the winner on Wednesday the 30th.

All I ask is for you to enter is just leave a comment about what you are grateful for, that is all. :) It is always nice to think of good things in our lives.
Let me start...

This year started out ok for me, then, in March, a horrible earthquake happened in Japan.

As most of you know my family is in the area that was largely affected. For the first 48 hours, I didn't know if my sister's family was alive. Thankfully they are OK, but I will never forget that 48 hours... how I felt and what went through my mind. When I heard my sister's voice on the other end of the phone, I felt like I was finally able to breathe.

It is so easy for me to forget how blessed I am, but I am really grateful for my family this Thanksgiving. I learned that getting up in the morning, going through the daily routine (some of which is not fun stuff), eating meals together, and living under the same roof with the people I love may seem ordinary but it is actually an extraordinary thing. It is such a precious blessing. I hope I will always remember that and cherish the time with my family.

I am also thankful for the goodness in people. After the earthquake, so many people came forward and acted to help people. I know things like that happens more often than I realize, but since it was so close to my heart, I was more aware. Thank you everyone who showed your kindness towards the people who were in need. Thank you for being such an inspiration and example to me.

Lastly, I am thankful that I was able to keep up this small place called "Tea Rose Home". Because of you, yes, you my dear friends I was able to keep going. Also, through blogging I have met so many wonderful people. So, I am doing this again... The Tea Rose Home Thanksgiving giveaway!! Do you wanna know what I am giving away this year?

A Mug: Do you remember when I talked about my motto that I was going to try to live by this year in, last January? I found this mug at TJ Maxx the other day and I had to have it! I have the same mug in a different color, and I want you to have the aqua blue one.


A small (they are about 10"x 12") fabric bundle from my stash;


Handmade pincushion;


As I was making this, I thought "why not reversible?"


Do you like the yummy colors?


Speaking of yummy colors, I also want you to have chocolate covered pretzel sticks for when you are taking a break with your new mug.


That's it. :) I know most of you are busy getting ready for Thanksgiving or traveling to see your loved ones, but I would love to read your "thankful notes". Here is one of my favorite quotes about Thanksgiving;

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie"

Well said, don't you think?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Belated TRH 3rd Anniversary Giveaway!

I had a month long TRH Anniversary giveaway in September, and I had one more giveaway planned, then my health issue got in the way. So, this is kind of random, but here is the last item for my 3rd Anniversary giveaway...


Japanese bento box and a carrying pouch. I wanted to do something that would reflect my blog and things that I’ve posted about. Then I remember many of you wanted to know where you can purchase a bento box like mine... But a bento box is a little boring. So, I decided to make a carrying pouch to go with it. Do you like the fabric? Seriously, it took me such a long time to decide on which fabric combination to go with.


I have the exact same bento box and I love it. I love how the divider can come off and that I can use it in different ways.



I posted about my Japanese style bento here and here, but you can certainly put in anything you want. How about some crackers, grapes, and some cute sandwiches? The possibilities are endless and I think you will have fun!

Here is how to enter:

1. Usual comment is fine, but can you tell me what you would put in to the bento box? I think that will be fun for everyone to read and get some ideas. :) (1st entry)

2. Become a follower of Tea Rose Home. (2nd entry)

3. Facebook, Tweet, or blog about the giveaway. (3rd entry)

That's it! I will run the giveaway until midnight of the 9th and post the winner on the 10th. Good luck!

TRH Blogaversary Giveaway 3rd Week/Riley Blake Designs

Hi all! This is the third week for the giveaway, and GUESS WHAT... today is the actual 3rd blogaversary! I told you how generous the people at Riley Blake Designs were, and how they helped me out for the giveaway right? So, I am going to giveaway some awesome fabrics from them this week as well.

Let me tell you the several reasons why I love Riley Blake Designs.

1. They have many designers and they all bring something different to the table. There is something for everyone!

2. I love that they have notions like ribbons, laces, buttons, and crochet flowers that go with each fabric line. It is so fun to coordinate.

3. They have a blog for updates and Cuttin Corners Collage for fun project ideas.

4. They are based in Utah...ok I am a little biased, I can't help it but to be supportive and be a big fan.

5. I have met a few people from Riley Blake Designs, and they were SUPER nice! I love nice people, don't you?

Are you all ready to see the giveaway prizes for this week?

Ohh... I wish I could put this in to my fabric stash. This is one of my favorite lines Indian Summer. I can't tell you how cute the whole line is! There is a stack of 23 fat quarters, can you imagine what you can do with them?


Are you craving for some cute boy fabrics? Then, this is for you! This 10 inch stacker is from Wanna be a Cowboy 2line. I can think of so many different ways to use this fabulous pack!


Are you ready to enter the giveaway? Here are the rules;

1. Visit Riley Blake Designs first and come back here to let me know which one was your most favorite thing (pattern and fabrics etc.). (1st entry)

2. Become a follower on my main page. (2nd entry)

3. Blog about this giveaway, tweet, become a fan on their Facebook. (3rd entry)

I will run the giveaway until midnight of the 23th and post the winner on the 24th.

Good luck!

Note: I have so much going on this week, and one of them is test procedure for my routine procedure (I don't know if that makes any sense...). I am not sure how I will be afterwards, so I am taking a break from the link party this week. Meanwhile, save some awesome creations of yours to share for next week! ;)

Monaluna Fat Quarter Bundle Giveaway!

Yeap, you read it right, I am hosting a giveaway for monaluna today!! Not only that, she agreed to do an interview with me for my readers. I know she is one busy person, thank you so much for your generosity Jennifer!



Before we start, let me tell you a little bit about her and her design...



Back in May I was at an International Quilt Market and met so many designers that I admire... Can you picture me being so happy and overwhelmed at the same time? Anyways, back in to the main subject... all of them that I talk to are so nice. One of the people that left an impression on me is Jennifer.





She is the talented designer and owner of monaluna. After the market we did some emailing back and forth and she has been so nice and sweet, I have this feeling anyone who meets her will want to become friends with her.



Her design is modern and fresh. I love her color pallet and hint of nature in the design. My favorite collections are;

marin



and monaco





I wish I had a little baby boy at home, so I can use fabrics from Monaco to make a special quilt for him. They are just so adorable!



Are you ready to get to know Jennifer? Here is the fun part!



1. Have you been sewing and designing for a long time? When did you decide to become a textile designer?



I have been sewing for a long time, though I had a bit of a rough start with it. I loved hand sewing as a kid, but my first few attempts at machine sewing were really frustrating and I swore off it for years. Then, I decided to sew some pillows for my apartment, and I fell in love with being able to create unique designs for myself. After that, I tried all kinds of things, with varying levels of success. A couple years ago, I even sewed my own wedding dress, using 26 yards of dupioni silk – quite a project!



As for textile design, that happened almost by accident. I had worked in various aspects of design, including surface design for children’s clothing, and I’d also done a fair amount of artwork for print houses, which supply the artwork for apparel and accessories companies. In 2007 I was working as a freelance designer when things really started to slow down. With time on my hands and a number of sewing projects in my head, I started to think about using some of my prints for textiles. I got in touch with a number of fabric companies, and was able to license a number of my designs to Robert Kaufman Fabrics.



After designing several successful collections for Robert Kaufman, I felt determined to pursue my long-time goal of printing my designs on organic cotton. I had missed being involved in the whole product development process, and after a lot of thought and consideration, I decided to branch out on my own and start my organic fabric business.



2. Work and family life, how do you manage them all? Is there any secret you would like to share?



Ah, it’s a constant struggle! Some days, it doesn’t seem like I’m managing at all. My first collection of fabrics arrived about 3 weeks after my daughter was born, so the last year has been full of some steep learning curves. There was this beautiful time until she was 7 months old where she wasn’t moving around much, and I actually felt like I could really work and watch her at the same time. Now that she’s crawling and walking, all bets are off. It’s probably time to get childcare and really focus on the business, but I’ve been enjoying getting to spend this time with her. If there’s one secret, I would say it’s to do work that you really enjoy. That way, you resent it less when you’re up at midnight finishing something you didn’t get to that afternoon. I almost always look forward to my work, and that’s a wonderful feeling.



3. Where do you get inspirations for your design?



All over! I feel most inspired by nature, and my favorite way of inspiring myself is to go for a long walk or hike and really LOOK at things. There’s so much that we don’t see in our everyday life, and I like to be able to really focus and notice the patterns and beauty around me. One of the best ways for me to do this is to travel to new places. When I’m out of my usual environment, whether it’s another country, another city or just a new hiking trail, I notice my surroundings more keenly and clearly than I do at home. Even the smells and the light and sounds of a new place are clearer and special.



4. What is the most exciting thing that has happened to you since you started your company?



Well, it’s always very exciting when new shipments of fabric come in, but I think my favorite thing is seeing how the fabric is used by other designers and sewists. I love seeing the things that etsy designers have made, or when people send me photos of things they’ve sewn with the fabric. I also really love shipping it out to other countries. Last Friday, I shipped fabric to Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK and Australia, and I prepared fabric swatches to send to Chile. If I can’t travel to those places right now, at least my fabric can!



5. Where do you think you and your business will be 10 years from now?



That’s a very good question! The usual idea is that you want to grow and expand, but I really love the size of my business right now. I am able to have a connection with my customers, and it feels really personal. I know it needs to grow, but I think it will be gradual. I would love to use my prints on different products, like stationery or wall art, but for now I’m still getting the hang of fabric. It will be very interesting to see where the organic market is in 10 years – I hope by that time it’s more the norm than the exception!



6. What are your favorite activities when you have any free time (if you have any at all!)?



Lately, I haven’t had much of what I think of as “free time”, but when I’m not working, I’ve been landscaping the yard of the 100-year-old house that my husband and I bought a year and a half ago. I love to garden, and have always wanted a big yard to work on, but now I’m realizing just how much work it can be! I’m hoping to build a chicken coop in the next couple of weeks – I’ve been wanting to get chickens for years, and now I finally can! I also really love to hike, dance, cook, entertain… but admittedly haven’t been doing as much of that as I’d like this past year.



7. Do you have a favorite quote to live by?



I have a friend who uses the Gandhi quote “You must be the change you wish to see in this world” as her signature. This one always rings true to me, and I really like the sentiment.



As I read the interview answers, I became a bigger fan of her and her creations. Again, thank you so much for your inspirations Jennifer. I hope you enjoy the interview too. :)



Here are the giveaway rules;



1. Visit her shop first and come back here to let me know which one was your most favorite collection. (1st entry)



2. Become a follower on my main page. (2nd entry)



3. Blog about this giveaway, tweet, become fan on Facebook. (3rd entry)



I will run the giveaway until midnight of the 30th and post the winner on 31st.

Good luck!

Cymax Store Mother's day Giveaway!

Before I go into the details about the giveaway from Cymax Stores, let me tell you what happened in my backyard...

One day I opened my sliding door to the back yard and I found this;


I thought "oh no, must have been a strong wind. I better go fix it." As I got closer to the table, I found this:


Have you ever had that moment where you can feel your strength leaving your body? There were thousands of shattered grass pieces on the grass. You can't sweep them, or vacuum them up; they are all so nicely blended in with the grass. I have to pick them up one by one. So far I did about half, but the pieces are still there. Ugh!

I was looking forward to using the patio furniture, I am very disappointed. Pretty much right after this happened, I was asked to do a giveaway for Every Patio Furniture (I thought that the timing was just too perfect :))
Every Patio Furniture was created specifically to cater to the needs of people looking for patio furniture. They provide a variety of items at affordable prices to their customers. They are also continually growing the range of products they offer and making sure that there are pieces in the price ranges of everyone.

Since my table is broken, I went to their site to check out their outdoor sofa sets, and dining sets etc.

Look at what I found...

Oxford Garden dining table set... What a beauty! I would cook my best dishes for this dining table set!


I also found this great outdoor lighting, Pangaea Iron Table Lantern... Wouldn't it be so pretty to have them on the table at night?


And, this out door sofa set is for my imaginary beach house... the great thing about this is you can semi-customize by choosing your own finish and fabric.


Aren't they all so pretty? Ok, here are the details for the giveaway...

Cymax Store is giving away a $50 gift certificate for Every Patio Furniture! There is still time to shop for your mom (or yourself) for Mother's day. You could use the gift certificate towards bigger items or find nice accessories for outdoor too.
I will run the giveaway till Thursday the 21st, and announce the winner on the Friday the 22nd.

Here's how you can enter;

1. Visit Every Patio Furniture and come back and tell me your favorite item. (First entry)

2. Become follower of my blog. (2nd entry)

3. Follow, like or tweet about them on Facebook & twitter (3rd entry)

4. If you have a blog, blog about this giveaway (4th entry)

Good luck everyone, this is soo exciting!


Note: I am guest posting at Kojo Design today and sharing my "JCrew knock off dress" tutorial. Head over to see what I have done, and remember...I don't hate comments :)

Say It On The Wall Giveaway!

I am doing a giveaway for my sponsor Say It On The Wall this week!

Go to my sponsor's page to get to know them and enter for a chance to win the exciting prize!

Thanksgiving Giveaway Winner!

Hi all! How was your Thanksgiving? I posted the winners for the Thanksgiving giveaway If you are not one of the winners, don't be sad. :) I will be doing another giveaway in the near future by CSN Stores. CSN Stores have over 1 million products on their site, toys to tv tables. It is fun to browse, and you might find the perfect gift for your loved ones just at your fingertips!

I am going to decorate the house for Christmas tomorrow with kids’ help (?) and with Christmas music on. Doesn't that sound fun? I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend.

Visit my Sponsors' Page to see if you are one of the lucky winners! I will see you on Monday!

Thanksgiving Giveaway 2010!

I've had to move my giveaway to my Sponsors' Page, all comments here and there will be counted. Please go here to read about the contest and to enter.

Tea Rose Home 2nd Anniversary Giveaway ~ Amy Butler Patterns ~

Yes, you read it right; I have a special giveaway for my anniversary celebration! Please head over to my sponsors' and giveaway page to read the whole story and learn how you can enter.

One of the patterns is one of Amy Butler's new patterns, and so so cute!! You don't wanna miss this! :)

Link Party 18 and Surprize Giveaway!

First of all I want to say thank you for all of you who left such nice comments and emails about my little girl and about your experiences. Some of you lost your loved ones to cancer or other illnesses and have a special connection with donating hair... I was so touched reading your stories. Sometimes I am worried about this world we live in, but it gives mea hope when I hear other people's acts of kindness and thoughtfulness. Thank you for making my day! (and Rachel was really tickled by all the comments too.)

After I finished Four Shirts Four Ways last week, I started a new projects and I am really enjoying the process. It will be a while until I can share the pictures, but you will be the first ones to see them!

Before I start the link party, I have a surprize giveaway I have been planning... :)(grin)

   
Among the Four Shirt Four Ways, the most popular shirt was the purple one. I am giving away that shirt to a lucky winner! I promise, I only wore it an hour or so to take the pictures, it is in mint condition! The shirt size is XS (loose fitting).


Here are the rules for the giveaway:

1. Leave a comment on this post. (You will get one entry)

2. Become a follower of Tea Rose Home. (you will get a second entry)

3. Face book, tweet, blog (any of them is fine) about this giveaway. (You will get a third entry)

I will run the giveaway until the 7th and post the winner on Monday the 9th. Sound good?

Now, lets start the link party and here are the rules for the link party:

1. Please post something YOU made. It doesn't matter if it is crochet, quilt, clothing, anything would be fine. I want to see it! If you use someone's idea or patterns please give them the rightful credit.

2. Link to your specific post, that way it is easier for everybody to find and read it.

3. Please grab the "Tea Rose Home" grab button, and link back from your post. If you can mention the party in your post or place the button on your side bar, that would be great! I want more people to have a chance to come and show off their creation.


<br /><a href="http://tearosehome.blogspot.com"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462799092490427250" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 126px; height: 160px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqD2Vd0YEWWfW_JevA07K4_OWomfU7lSFZXBHspcGVRoVaexEOVPpQJj3QRfeDrXxLrc0VSBLINUdXmJx0aEnpBkhJBFyWX5aulRpCbQdmpicAtJkh2qCOcowwuHAunCyw2SpvLlb4ZI/s200/GrabButtonLinkParty.jpg" /></a><br />


Let's party!

Sponsor Giveaway ~The Toasted Coconut~

Hi everyone, how was your weekend? I had a wonderful time with my family and friends and this Monday I am supposed to meet up with my friend who used to live next door to me but moved far away. I am so looking forward to seeing her!

Today, I am hosting a giveaway for The Toasted Coconut! Go to my sponsors' page to get to know about her and enter the giveaway.


I hope everyone will have a wonderful start to your week. :)

What I Learned from My Mom/Mother's Day Giveaway!

I have two special women that I call "Mom". I want to write a little bit about them and what I have learned from them.

The first person is my mother who lives in Japan. My mother married young and had me when she was 20 years old. Some of you know that because I was born with few rare conditions, I had to get my leg amputated when I was two. All my life, the hospital and I were inseparable, and we still are.

I just wanted you all to know that I don't want you to think that I write these things so people pity me or that I want to get more attention. It is just such a big part of my life that it is impossible not to write about it while telling you about me.

Anyways, going back to my mother... consider being so young, and having a child with a sickness that will last rest of her life. Now I am a mom of three, I can't imagine the worry and heartaces she felt while she was raising me. But, she never treated me any different then my sister.

There are so many things I learned from my mom, but two things come to my mind, the first one is "courage". I will tell you one incident that has stuck with me for a long time...

The prosthetic limb I had when I was little was a very simple primitive looking one. It was a pirate leg (peg-leg). The neighbor kids would always tease me and said very mean things. Sometimes they even got physical... I think I was 3, or 4 years old at the time; the kids were so mean I went home crying... guess what my mother did.

She gave me a broom and said, "I can't protect you all the time, you have to learn to stand up for yourself. Tell them that you don't like what they do and say. "Until you do something about it, I won't let you back in the house.", with that, she closed the door, and I heard it lock.

I cried and screamed for a while hoping that she would change her mind and open the door. I am pretty sure that I thought she was a devil. There were no signs of her coming to open the door, so I stood up and went to find those kids.

All I remember was I spotted them from far away, I mean real FAR AWAY, I screamed something and threw the broom at them. (it probably fell on the ground). Then I ran back home, my mom immediatly opened the door and hugged me tight and said with tears in her eyes, "Good job, good job."

I don't know if I can do the same thing to my kids, I would probably be smacking those other kids around with the broom myself.

I am not saying that, this method would work for all the children, but it definately helped me in my life. To have the knowledge that I can speak up and be courageous gave me the confidance that I needed. Later she told me that She didn't want me to grow up ashamed of myself and how I look. I am so grateful she gave me that gift.

Another thing I learned from her was "Compassion". I was probabley around 7 or 8 years old. My mother was packing our car with big bag of rice, potatoes, and other food items from our pantry and refrigerater, they were nearly empty. After that was done, she told me and my sister to get in the car and she started driving. I asked her, "where you taking these?" and she said, "to my friend."

My mom had this friend, she was divorced with three small children. Her ex-husband wasn't paying any kind of child support or alimony. Even though she was working two jobs, it was very difficult for her to support herself and her children. Sometimes, they went without electricity or phone connection and food. (My mother told me these details when I was much older).

Not knowing all these things, I was very confused and worried. My parents always had medical bills they had to pay, even though I was young, I knew, we weren't doing so well either. I asked my mom "Why are you giving those things away? What about us?"

She was quiet for a while, then said, "She is my dear friend, and she and her children are in trouble. I can't just let them starve. We are in a slightly better position then they are, so I want to help. Don't worry, we will be fine, we will get by."

I didn't ask any more questions. We were all quiet the rest of the ride there. My mom was right, we were fine, we didn't go without. I don't even remember what we ate till the next pay day, but I know we were always fed.

What I remember is the face of the youngest boy, and the words my mother said, that night. "I can't afford not to help".

What's great about her is, she doesn't even mention any of these things to anybody. She would quietly help and forget. I am so blessed to have her as my mother, and she taught me life's important things through her actions.

Another special person is my mother-in-law. I call her "mom". As I was born and raised in Japan by strict parents, It was just very awkward for me to call her by her first name. I felt like I was disrespecting her. After thinking it over sometime, I decided to call her mom.

That's exactly what she was. One thing I learned from her was "acceptance". She helped me to get used to living in America, and accepted me as her daughter-in-law.

I don't know how she felt, when her son told them that he wants to marry someone rather average looking who is from a different country, who doesn't speak their language well AND, who has many medical problems. She was always nice and kind towards me. She was the one who took me around to find my wedding dress, taught me some American cooking and we watched many chick flicks together.

I hope I can be as nice and as graceful as she is, when my children bring someone to introduce to us as their future spouce.

Another thing I learned from her is "Love for her family". She is a devoted mother, who has raised five children. Her love for God and her family is always inspiring to me. She is also a wonderful grandmother to our children. Last summer, she took my children and their cousins to museums, movies, and many fishing trips. They loved it! It is great to see that they are building a special relationship. I am so grateful that she is taking the time to do that.

More importantly, I am grateful she raised such a wonderful man like my husband who is fun, loving and loyal. I know he is who he is, because of her. I am eternally grateful for that.

I am nowhere near being the perfect mom, but it is my deepest desire that my children will learn something from me that will enrich their lives. I think it is so important to teach and take care of our children spiritually, as well as physically. I take that very seriously as a mom.

I know there are MANY, MANY wonderful mothers out there, I just wanted to do some "Tea Rose Home" style celebration of Mother's day! That's where the giveaway comes in!

I am giving away up to $20 worth of items to two people from my etsy shop!

This will run from now til the end of day, May 5th.

Now ladies, it is your turn. Here are the rules and how to enter to the giveaway:

1. Let me know what you have learned from your mom. (you will get one entry)

2. Become a follower of my blog and show me your beautiful face on my side bar (second entry)

3. Blog about this post and giveaway on your blog and link back (third entry)

I will be looking forward to reading what you have learned from your moms.
Moms, mothers, and mommies...You all are wonderful! Everyone Happy Mother's Day!

My First Link Party and Giveaway!

Hi everyone! Like I said in the last post... I will host my first link party here at Tea Rose Home!! I thought the link party would be more fun and exciting, if I do a giveaway at the same time. You wanna know what the prize is? Last week I did a tutorial for Blue Cricket Design where I showed you how to make a bracelet. I am giving away the same style of bracelet, but I'm going have the winner specify the size and the color!

You don't have anything to show off this time? Don't worry! If you leave a comment and participate, you will be entered to the giveaway too.

I know it will be extremely difficult for me to pick just one person as a winner based on the project, so the winner will be chosen randomly.






Here are the rules for the link party:

1. Please post something YOU made. It doesn't matter if it is crochet, quilt, clothing, anything would be fine. I want to see it!

2. Link to your specific post, that way it is easier for everybody to find and read it.

3. Please grab the "Tea Rose Home" grab button, and link back from your post. If you can mention about the party on your post or place the button on your side bar, that would be great! I want more people to have a chance to come and show off thier creation and enter the giveaway.


4. One more thing, please DO NOT link anything inappropriate or any kind of advertisement. Don't be a party pooper!

Go visit people on the list and say hi, see what people are up to. Have fun!

Well, I am little anxious, but hope to see many of you there!!

Sponsor Giveaway and Latest Basket Make Over

I couldn't help it. I had this basket to pretty up for my etsy shop for a while. When I went through my stash of fabrics, I found the perfect brown that would go with the basket. I had to make ruffles. Usually, my baskets have flower clips, but this time I wanted to do something diffrent.

Here is the before picture...


then after...



I love it. I made a charm with leather string and beads for the basket. My goal was to achieve a feminine look without being too cutsy.

I have been working on a tutorial this week and I was ready to take the final pictures, then it snowed today, ugh! I will post it sometime next week. I am super excited for this, I hope you are too.

I posted an exciting sponsor giveaway at my sponsor's page today! Head over to check it out and say hello to my sponsor, and leave comments to be entered for a chance to win the prize. Good luck everyone!

Giveaway Time!

Guess What ladies... I have a surprise giveaway! I was given the oppotunity by living room furniture to do this. I went to their site and handpicked an item for my beloved readers!! I posted it on my sponsor's page, so head over there and check it out. You won't be disappointed.

By the way I am working on a project right now and I am going to post it on Friday. So, be sure to come back to see what I have been up to. :)