Thanksgiving Friday

I think it's important to count life's daily blessings and here in the US, Thanksgiving is just days away. That's why for the entire month of November, Fridays on my blog will be "Thanksgiving Friday"!

I want to thank Anna Lindsey over at All Things Creative
for giving me this awesome award!

Thank you also to Lauren who featured me on her blog today.

Today, I am also thankful for...

The scent of freshly washed laundry

Buttery scones served with strawberry jam

Puddles after the rain

The first snow of winter

Rainbows!

When the circus comes to town

Starry, starry nights


What are you thankful for?
Have a wonderful weekend!

A Touch of Asia

Apart from plastic utensils, I have a collection of chopsticks from many nights of ordering in.

These can be saved for an Asian-themed dinner party.

Or turn it from blah to TADA! by adding it to a beautifully wrapped present!

Wrapping gifts using handkerchiefs and silk scarves means the recipient gets two presents -- the carefully selected gift inside and the packaging! No tape needed, just tie the ends together to make an instant bow.

Add a pair of chopsticks, slip in a card and you're ready to give a gift that looks like it traveled all the way from Asia!

Happiness on a Fork

What to do? What to do with excess plastic forks from a party or take-away meal?

Turn them from blah to TADA! of course!

Melt some chocolate pieces in a double boiler &
spear a marshmallow on each fork.

Once the chocolate has melted, dip the marshmallow in!

Half dip it.

Dip it in entirely.

Roll it in sprinkles or nuts.

Package it nicely.

Now, they are ready to be given away!
Save some for yourself and feel like a kid again.

Chocolate Spoons

On my blog this week, it's all about finding uses for plastic utensils left-over from a party or delivery.

We'll turn these spoons from blah to TADA!

We'll need to melt some chocolate.
Then we'll coat each spoon.

Let the chocolate harden.
Wrap & decorate.

For a thoughtful gift, assemble as a bouquet
or put some on your dessert buffet.

Use it as a stirrer for coffee, milk or hot chocolate.
As the chocolate melts, it flavors your beverage!

Use it to eat ice cream,
that way you can lick the spoon clean.

See you again tomorrow for another gift-giving idea!

Plastic Utensils

Hello there everyone! When I host a get-together I try to use real cutlery. However, I still have these plastic utensils that I've accumulated from parties of long ago, take-out and delivery meals:

Once a blah...

...now a TADA!

Even if these are mismatched, I unified the look with stripped napkins. Guests can easily pick them up at a buffet or can easily be taken along for a packed lunch or picnic.

And since we're talking about plastic utensils, let me show you a display at Anthropologie in New York City's Rockefeller Center:

A fish sculpture made of paper mache
accented with plastic spoons & forks.

An peacock made out of paper...

...chopsticks and spoons!

Very creative don't you think?
Have a good week!

Thanksgiving Friday

For the entire month of November, I'll be treating Fridays as "Thanksgiving Friday". Don't you agree that our everyday blessings are the real TADAs! in life?

First up, I want to say THANK YOU to Filipa for sending me this award a few months back...it's the Premium Meme Award:

In accepting this award, I need to list seven of my personality traits. But let me break the rules a bit and instead, I'll list seven things that I'm thankful for.

I am thankful for these TADAs!...

Catching a peaceful sunrise

Witnessing a dramatic sunset

Lazy days at the beach

The rush of water & sand on my feet

Lovely brownstone houses
(because they remind of Sesame Street)

Garbage cans like this
(Oscar the Grouch, are you there?)

Pancakes for breakfast

Now, I have to pass the Premium Meme Award to seven other blogs with notable personality. I've picked these blogs because of their power to turn something simple into something special:

scissor variations
such pretty things
lovely design
craftynest
record the day
a field journal
cottage


Have a great weekend everyone!

Holiday Ornaments

We're re-purposing these plastic containers that once held fruit.

First a blah...

Now a Tada!
I turned it into a Christmas ornament!

I cut around the plastic, leaving a half inch lip at the top. I glued the half-circles to make a ball and attached some string and a ribbon at the top. I used letter stickers to spell out festive words and holiday wishes.

Just a friendly warning: keep these plastic ornaments away from the electric lights because they are a fire hazard. (The photos here are for demonstration purposes only).

Ornament Storage

Hello Lovelies!

This week on my blog, this plastic container that was once used as packaging for pears will go from blah...

...to Tada!

These come in handy when it's time to trim the Christmas tree. Unpack the ornaments from storage then put them on this plastic tray for easy access while decorating.

Use the same plastic tray when it's time to put down the ornaments after the holidays. Line the groves with paper so the ornaments don't move around. If the ornaments aren't that delicate, stack trays on top of each other and store them in a box.

Christmas Is Coming!

With Halloween behind us, we're slowly gearing up for Christmas. To keep our sanity during one of the busiest times of the year, the secret is early planning and being organized.

This blah used to contain Asian pears.

Tada! It's now a gift wrap station holding ribbons, gift tags, address labels and stamps for all the gifts and mail I need to send out for the holidays. Have a good day everyone!

Pear Containers

Happy Monday Everyone!
I hope you all had a fun-tastic Halloween weekend.

Let me tell you about these Asian pears I get at Costco. They are sweet, crisp, juicy and after all have been eaten, I am left with this plastic container. Instead of dumping it in the recycling bin, I'm turning them from blah to Tada!

After washing and drying the plastic container thoroughly, I use it to transport homemade cupcakes to a potluck party.

The cupcakes can be frosted beforehand or left plain if guests will be decorating their own.

I save a lot of these plastic containers so I can use another as a cover. I simply seal the edges with clear tape to keep the top on. Cool right? My cupcakes will be safe, no matter the weather outside!

When I get to the party, I can remove the cover and use this to hold all the sprinkles and decorations for the party. I might even bring a few of the bears with me!