Get Well Soon

It's Friday and I bet you're ready for a beer or two
to end a busy week.

As I've shown you this week on blah to Tada!, it's a good idea to save the cardboard carriers that hold those beer bottles and re-purpose them by the dressing them up with wrapping paper. Just by doing that, we turned a plain carrier into a picnic caddy, an art station, a knitting project carrier and a party centerpiece! Here's another one to add to the list:

Tada! A gift basket for a dear friend who's not feeling well.

Put in some healthy snacking options like fruits, bottles of orange juice, vitamins, tissues and hand sanitizer. Add a cheerful message and if you can hand-deliver it yourself, your friend will be on the road to recovery in no time!

Stay healthy & have an ultra-Tada! weekend!

Center of Attention

Doesn't a six-pack like this announce that it's party time?

But when the beer bottles are down to zero,
I suggest you keep the box for your next party.

Turn a blah box into a Tada! centerpiece!

Cover the box with festive paper and fill it with

noise-makers, candy & confetti.

Put one on each party table and see how this gets
both kids & adults excited!

Here's wishing you a sweet celebration!

Knitting on the Go

We're giving new life to this cardboard carrier :

Just by wrapping the box with pretty paper, a blah is now a Tada!:

With the new look is its new identity as a knitting caddy.

Fill it with yarn, needles, patterns & a pair of scissors
allowing you to take your current project anywhere!

Kiddie Colors

This week on blah to Tada!, we're giving cardboard carriers a make-over.

While the beer is strictly for the adults, we can still save the box for the kids.

Simply dress it up with festive paper and fill the spaces with markers, colored pencils and crayons. Make sure to have lots of paper ready to keep those little hands busy. Great for rainy afternoons, play dates and parties where children are also on the guest list!

I'm Back!

Hi Everyone! I'm so happy to be back after a four-week absence. There were some family matters that needed attention and I'm glad you guys understand. I have a whole new bunch of recycling ideas for you and Tada!, I did a little re-decorating on my blog banner as well!

Our blah this week is this cardboard carrier:

You'll find something like it in the supermarket nestled with soda, beer and even ready-to-drink coffee. It's easy to recycle because it's sturdy and has several compartments that's useful for organization projects.

Tada! Dress it up with gift wrap and you've got yourself a utensil caddy for your outdoor parties and barbecues! Stuff it with forks, spoons and knives, as well as napkins, chopsticks and straws. Handy dandy, don't you think?

See You Soon!

I'm taking a little blogging break for the next few weeks.
There are some urgent matters that need attention.
I'll be back soon.
Take care everyone!

Time for a Picnic!

It's Friday and I bet you're gearing up for the Fourth of July! I have a fun and environment-friendly idea for you if you're planning a picnic this weekend.

Here's the blah: a collection of mismatched cloth table napkins.

I found them at shops like Target & Anthropologie for less than $2.00 each. But they didn't have a buddy or were separated from their napkin family. I bought them anyway because of the cute prints.

Here's the Tada!: Napkins in prints that spell S-U-M-M-E-R. Now is the season to take them out, match them up with colorful melamine plates and reusable utensils to create picnic kits!

Simply put the plate in the center of the napkin.

Wrap the napkin around the plate and knot the edges.

Add the utensils and make another knot to secure them in place.

Make enough settings for all the guests at the picnic.
The napkins can also double as placemats!

Just add your favorite picnic food & drink and you're ready to go!

Make sure to take two extra bags -- one for trash and the other for soiled plates & utensils that you can put in the dishwasher when you get home. This guarantees an enjoyable picnic and a happy mother earth!

Happy Fourth of July & Happy Weekend!

Present Perfect

I hope you'll agree with me that handkerchiefs are lovely vintage treasures. You may have some hiding in your closet and there are many waiting to be purchased at flea markets and thrift stores. In the past two weeks, I've shown you how you can play around with these hankies and today I've got another idea for you.

We'll use these to package a few presents!

Put your gift in the center of the hankie.

Wrap the gift by neatly folding the edges and making a tight knot.
No need for scissors, tape or ribbon!

Embellish as you please!
Here, I added a rose-print button.

Or put on some bling like this brooch that compliments
the color of the handkerchief.

Complete the present with a gift enclosure and

some cheerful wishes.
Now you've got a pretty present inside & out!
Plus gift wrap that can be used all over again.

One for Me & One For You

I'm going ga-ga over vintage handkerchiefs and today, I'll turn this little floral number from blah to Tada!

Just fold it in half and cut it into two triangles.

Sew a long piece of ribbon over the cut edge to prevent fraying.

Tada! Two bandanas made from one hankie!

I'll be keeping one and sending the other to my best friend who lives far away. We can wear it all summer long! Wouldn't it be cute, too, if Mom and daughter wore them at the same time?

Tray, tray chic!

We're taking these vintage handkerchiefs out of the closet and making them part of the everyday.

How can you not with prints pretty as these?

Just like yesterday's project, we'll put one of our favorite hankies inside a frame.

But this time, we're turning the frame into a useful tray!

More Hanky Panky

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope you had a nice & sunny weekend.

Last week, we played around with some vintage handkerchiefs that any blushing bride can use at her wedding. I hope you gals who aren't brides-to-be didn't feel left out. Good news! This week on blah to Tada!, we'll get into some more hanky panky...the wholesome kind of course!

I have this stack of floral handkerchiefs sitting inside my sock drawer. In a not so distant past, every lady carried one and I bet, if these hankies could talk, they'd be muttering, "Bring us back in style!"

Part of that stack is this handkerchief I got from a pink & green swap. Isn't it pretty? The pink rose really grabs your attention.

I love it so much, I think it's worthy to be framed.
It brightens up my desk, giving me the feeling of having
a vase of flowers!

Heirloom Hankies

Horay it's Friday! Let me cap wedding week with a final blah to Tada! transformation dedicated to the bride and all her best friends.

Here's the blah...an old handkerchief.

Here's the Tada!...an old handkerchief, but one that's personal & sentimental.

It's meant for best friends to share and pass on.

Each lady's name and wedding date are written (or embroidered) on the handkerchief.

It marks that special day when she was a bride.

Then it's passed on to the next bride!

This has all the elements a bride needs for her wedding day:

Something OLD: the handkerchief
Something NEW: the NEW bride's name & wedding date
Something BORROWED: the handkerchief that's passed on
among friends
Something BLUE: the embroidery thread

The current bride keeps it in her care until a new engagement is announced. It can be presented to the bride-to-be at the engagement party or bridal shower.

This handkerchief can also be a wonderful heirloom piece from mother to daughter or shared among sisters.

Who says new wedding traditions can't be created?

Have a Tada! weekend everyone!

A Bride's Buddy

Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful things a woman can go through. Too many lists to make & cross out, so many details to think about. So to all the brides out there, I'm offering to you this vintage handkerchief...

Not to wipe those tears away, though!
We're turning it from blah...

...to Tada! -- it's now a bridal pouch!

Just fold the handkerchief in half, then in thirds.

Sew the edges and add a button with an elastic loop to the flap.

The blushing bride can use this to carry the important things
she will need for her big day like
tissues & blotting paper (no shiny faces!).

Add a small bottle of cologne, a compact, lipstick and a sewing kit.

Let the maid of honor hang on to this -- she'll be there with you
for touch ups and small emergencies.

Here's wishing you a wedding that's truly Tada!