Cherries Aren't Just for Eating

Last Monday, I took you cherry picking.

Wasn't that fun?

Trees & buckets full of cherries...keeps us

thinking of new recipes & different

ways to use them.

Today, before eating the cherries,

let's stop & admire them.

Let's make them the subject

for a photo shoot!

Aren't they gorgeous?

They look like edible jewels.

Let's make them last longer

with some Photoshop magic.

Then turn them into gift tags

or greeting cards.

It makes the perfect

finishing touch to a present.

Indeed, the cherry on top!

Cherry-Berry Pops

Yesterday, I took you on a road trip

where we got to take home a lot

of cherries.

And when I say "a lot", I mean, a lot!

When life gives you cherries...

Turn them into popsicles!

I melted some vanilla ice cream,

added the cherries {pitted & chopped}

and threw in some chopped strawberries &

blackberries. Mix well & pour into

popsicle molds.

Leave in the freezer for a few hours

then unmold.

TADA! Homemade Cherry-Berry Pops!

Make some using fruits that are abundant this summer.

Because letting them spoil is a big blah.

It's also a wonderful way to beat the heat!

Inspiration: Cherries

Happy Monday!

Today, let me take you on a little road trip.

We're going to Terhune Orchards in

Princeton, New Jersey.

We're going cherry picking!

If you've never gone fruit picking before,

we'll need to pay a little fee &

we each get a bucket.

Here are the many cherry varieties available.

Look at the trees!

They're overflowing with the

reddest, ripest cherries!

There are yellow & orange ones, too.

I think I picked about 2 pounds.

Wash them & they're ready to eat!

But what happens if you've got too many cherries?

Turn that blah dilemma into a TADA!

Here are some great breakfast ideas

that are tasty, healthy and you'll

get to use up those cherries

rather quickly.

Add them to a bowl of muesli.

Pair it with some warm oatmeal.

Or use it as a topping for your yogurt & granola.

Please come back tomorrow for

more ideas inspired by cherries!

A Beach Wedding

A wedding on the beach is a dreamy affair.

Whether you are the bride, a member of the bridal party

or one of the lucky guests, a breezy outfit and

a pair of comfy footwear is sure to be on your list.

Flipflops, anyone?

Dress them up for the occasion with sparkly ribbons.

Or a pair of brooches.

Lace to match your dress,

spun around the strap.

Or lovely little pearls!

Here's a tip for all you ladies planning a bridal shower: make decorating your own flipflops a group activity! Have a bunch of brand new flipflops (determine the guests' sizes before buying inexpensive ones at Old Navy or on-line). Have a table filled with lace, ribbons, beads & baubles, scissors, needle & thread, a glue gun & fishing string ready for an afternoon of jazzing up your slippers! Present a special pair to the bride-to-be with everyone's wishes & signatures. Oh what fun you'll have!

Have a groovy weekend everyone!

From Head to Toe

I hope ya' all are staying cool in this hot, hot, hot weather!

I've always been attracted to red shoes

but I've never been brave enough to wear them.

So I decided to try with these red slippers:

I've been wearing them for the past couple of

summers and they have brightened my day,

more so when I'm wearing a wild color of nail polish.

But I though I'd dress this pair up a bit...

With a colorful set of beads!

These are really hair beads I got when

I had my hair braided on a vacation

in the Dominican Republic.

The braids are long gone but I kept the

beads as a souvenir.

And I think these red flipflops

are glad that I did!

Bead It Up

It's scorching hot where I live & this heat will

continue for the rest of the week.

The heat is my excuse to put on some flipflops.

This pair might be screaming "too casual".

But if we add a few beads {attached using

fishing string}...

Tada! We've elevated the everyday to

extra-special!

And it's something uniquely yours!

A Sparkle in Your Step

We're jazzing up some flipflops this week.

If you know where to shop, you'll be able

to get inexpensive flipflops like this one:

I got these at Old Navy.

They're cute as is but a little

personalization won't hurt, right?

I got this sequin ribbon from my favorite notions store,

2 yards for $1.00. I think that's a pretty good deal.

I attached it to the rubber strap using hot glue.

It's been stable so far. You can also try crazy glue

or wind invisible thread/fishing twine around it

if hot glue doesn't work.

TADA! a small touch that will add

a sparkle to your step!

See you tomorrow!

Flippin' for Flipflops

Happy Monday!

I hope you guys here in the U.S. had a nice

Fourth of July weekend.

Summer is really in full swing & my flipflops

have been parading the streets.

There are days, though, that I think

they are too plain, too blah.

Add some tulle & a pair of gold buttons {even if they don't match}

and TADA! -- fancy feet!

Sew them on tightly to the rubber strap

to keep them from falling off.

These flipflops will be the envy

of the other flipflops on the pavement.

Have a great day!

The Bubble Lady

Right around this time, in 2007, I was in Chicago. It was the perfect summer day and I was at the Lincoln Park farmer's market. I was sitting on a bench, enjoying a strawberry crepe and right across me was this lady. I call her "The Bubble Lady".

She had a little bubble machine, which I refer to

as her magic wand. Bubbles, bubbles,

bubbles everywhere!

I too, wanted to have lots of bubbles.

So when I'm down to the last drops

of dish soap...

Or detergent, shampoo & body wash...

I add water to the bottle, give it a shake

and pour the liquid into a container.

I put the bottles in the recycle bin

and this is what I do with the collected water:

I agitate it to make it really, really sudsy.

TADA! Instant bubble liquid!

I can easily conjure up some bubbles to turn

my day from blah to TADA!

Or pretend to be "The Bubble Lady"

and make toddlers happy!

I love how excited they are while chasing the bubbles,

making them pop.

Here's another bubble recipe from this book:

You'll need:

3 cups water

1 cup liquid soap (baby shampoo or baby bath)

1 tablespoon sugar

Mix all ingredients together & use different

materials to form bubbles like coat hangers,

fly swatters and strawberry baskets.

I found the book at the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe

(New York City) and I'm definitely going back to

see what new craft book I'll find.

Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend

and find some time to blow bubbles!