Decorating a Shelf

Hello there lovelies!

I'm in the process of spring cleaning and re-decorating. And if like me, you live in an apartment, every inch of space is precious.

Little nooks like the space above a door are prime real estate. It's a good place to add a shelf! 

I have a lot of books. They are useful references and add soul to a home.

If you'll notice, I have a travel theme going on here.

On each end are framed postcards from two of my favorite cities, Paris and London. The vase, I think has so much character on its own.

Creating a space for objects that hold a lot of meaning, I think that's blah to TADA!

Happy Easter

What a beautiful day for new beginnings! I received an Easter greeting in the mail and I just have to share it with you:

Isn't it lovely? This thoughtful card came from same family who gave me this. 

I want to wish everyone a very Happy Easter! 

Hunny Bunny Easter Treat

Today, a little Easter craft that doubles as a token to share.

We're not making cookies! I took out these cookie cutters to use as a pattern. 

I trace the body of the gingerbread boy onto paper.

I'll replace the boy's head with a bunny face.

Now we have a bunny! TADA!

Of course, as an alternative, you can draw one freehand or download a stencil from the web.

Time to personalize with paint.

Add a chocolate egg to the center. Secure it with double-sided tape. 

Fold the bunny's arms and attach these to the edges of the chocolate egg with more tape or hot glue. 

It's like the bunny is hugging the chocolate.

And he's ready to give it to you! TADA!

Have a Happy Easter!

Easter Cupcakes

Easter is coming up on March 27. And I thought it proper to share a seasonally-appropriate craft, 'no? 

Let's turn these cupcakes from blah to TADA!

I'm using these candy eggs and vanilla frosting to decorate the cupcakes.

The vanilla frosting is tinted in a light shade of green using food color. I'm using decorating tip #233 to give a grass effect.

Once the grass has been piped, just top with the eggs.

I like the pastel speckles on the eggs!

Another version uses flowers made of royal icing.

A small yellow accent to herald spring.

These cupcakes are ready to party!

Dainty Gift Tags

Hi there everyone! I hope you are all doing well.

Today, I am inspired by this gift tag. Ain't it pretty? Pretty enough that you don't need any gift wrap.

I'll make my own version using scrapbook paper, cardstock, and these paper flowers.

I trimmed the cardstock and the scrapbook paper to my desired size. I rounded the edges using a craft punch. I attached them together with glue.

I attached the flowers with a hot glue gun.

Then, with watercolor, I painted on some celebratory words.

I added some twine to make it easy to attach to any present.

Got any plain cardstock lying around? Turn them from blah to TADA!

Pretty Pins

Happy Monday! I hope you had a delightful weekend.

Can I share a few finds with you?

These are some pins that I purchased last year. I got them at the Columbus Circle Christmas Market in New York City. The lady who owned the booth sold all sorts of vintage jewelry. I chose the quarter-sized pin because it had my initial. It felt like it belonged to me when I picked it up.  

The longer pin, on the other hand, reminded me of something my mom and my aunts owned. Just a little bit of nostalgia.

Who wears pins these days? Well, here's how I would incorporate them in my wardrobe:

 

I would use it to secure a spring scarf around my neck. This works like a piece of jewelry, instead of wearing a pendant.

The long pin is always handy expecially for wrap blouses or dresses that don't seem to come with a button in the decolletage area. It's a cute accent piece, too.

Now, don't you agree that pins turn blah to TADA!?

Pass the Sugar and Creamer, Please

Over the holidays, I was entertaining and when time came for coffee and dessert, I realized I didn't have the accoutrements for coffee. A gracious host would always have these handy for guests to flavor their after dinner beverages with, right?

Well, here's what I came up with on the fly:

I'm a big fan of white serveware. They're classic and can easily be mixed and matched. The sugar pot (originally a honey jar), the mini milk jug, and the rectangular dish were all bought separately but together, look like they were a set.  

I filled each one respectively: sugar, milk, and sweetener. And I put these on a dish that worked as a tray.  

How's that for blah to TADA!?

I'm also in the process of spring cleaning. And look at some of the things I found:

This cow is a creamer. You might think it's cute. Or kitschy. I bought it as a souvenir in the city of Delft in the Netherlands. They're known for their blue and white pottery that depict Dutch life.

It's filled with milk through the opening on top. Once ready to serve, the milk is poured into the cup through its mouth. Milk straight from the cow! 

This is a cup that I bought at a flea market. It was only a dollar. I was really attracted to the painting style. It was made in Portugal.

Together (now with milk and turbinado sugar), they match. TADA!

And this ceramic fish that I found at the sale bin at Anthropologie, works as a container for sugar packets.

I can't wait to use these for my next dinner party.

Have a good week, lovelies!

Flea Market Flip

Hello there! How was your weekend? It was extremely cold where I live so it was but natural to stay indoors and watch some TV. And TV watching turned out to be a marathon of sorts with Flea Market Flip on the playlist. 

Have you seen Flea Market Flip? It's a contest between two pairs who are each given a budget (ex. $500) to spend at a flea market. Each pair purchases three items and "flips" them based on given criteria (ex. inspired by nature, fabric project, vintage modern). They, with the help of a carpenter, have about a day to complete all three projects. Then, they go back to another flea market, this time to sell what they have made. The pair that makes a larger profit wins a cash prize.     

Now that's the kind of game I would join! It involves flea markets and transforming blah to TADA!

Here are some of my favorites:

A chair transformation using paint and upholstery

Mason jar kit turned light fixture

Old luggage that doubles as a side table & storage

A galvanized container turned into a coffee table

A printer's tray turned jewelry keeper

Old lockers updated as a storage bench

A fresh take on an old storage piece

Really, the results are quite inspiring, I can't wait to do a little "flipping" myself!

For Valentine's Day

I thought it would be fun to write a little post for Valentine's.  Here is around-up of heart-shaped kitchen items that I wouldn't mind owning:

Aren't they adorable? Have a Happy Valentine's Day, however you're celebrating!