Got Mint?

Which do you prefer: mints or gum? I would choose the former because it does the job of keeping your breath fresh (or keeping you awake at a long meeting) and you can do it oh-so subtly. Just let the mint glide around your mouth as it releases its minty-fresh action and then it melts into oblivion. Gum is less discreet with all the chewing involved and the ceremony required to get rid of it -- wrap it in paper and toss it in the trash. Well, that's how I would do it but there are certainly many folks who just leave their gum on the sidewalk. What a major BLAH especially if it ends up on your shoes! Okay, so I got that off my chest.

I love mints and I always have some in my bag. I'm an equal-opportunity mint enthusiast, willing to try the many brands available so I've amassed quite a few mint containers. And while we treat an empty mint tin like this as a blah:

It can actually be transformed into a Tada!...

By covering the mint tin in polka-dot print sticker paper, it's now a cute dispenser for coffee sweetener that you can take wherever you travel. How sweet is that?

Light in a Jar

We're ending the week with another crafty idea to give old jam jars new life...and maybe new light, too. Today, we're making candles! I'd really like to try my hand making candles in different shapes and scents, but let's do it the easy way:

I got this Jelly Candle at an A.C. Moore craft store. It's available in many colors and scents. I chose a bright red with a strawberry scent because it reminds me of jams & preserves, perfect for our jars.

The kit comes with a tube of gel, 4 wicks and easy-to-follow instructions.

Use a clean and dry jam jar and position the wick at the center, attach in place with a bead of glue. Allow the glue to dry.

At this point, you can add little things like shells, sand & marbles for an added dimension. Then squeeze in the gel. After 20 to 30 minutes (the surface needs to settle)...

Tada! We made our very own candle!

There will be bubbles (which I quite like) but the instructions say they'll disappear after 24 hours. The fragrance is comforting & yummy but a word of caution -- it can be mistaken for jam or jello. And if the candle police are reading this, I have to include this warning: keep out of the reach of children & do not leave a burning candle unattended.

Have a great & totally TADA! weekend!

Creativi-TEA!

I am thrilled whenever I dine at a restaurant that serves their drinks in these mason jar glass mugs. They somehow whisk me off to the countryside where meals are served family-style, prepared all day by grandma. You know...ribs, corn muffins, fried chicken, macaroni & cheese and lots of pie! Um, okay, you caught me day dreaming right there. So back to the mason jar mugs. This is the inspiration to transform today's blah...

...Into a Tada!...

These Bonne Maman jam jars turn into wonderful tumblers for iced tea (or your drink of choice). They're chunky, sturdy and don't require extra care. They can easily be cleaned in the dishwasher and no tears will be shed if one or two accidentally break. Replacements are available at the supermarket (with free preserves!) unlike more highend drinking glasses that can be out of stock at the home store. They will work well for an outdoor party or a summer picnic. And because it's still winter where I live, I'll go back to day dreaming about warm days, a hearty table brimming with food and refreshing iced tea in jam jars. Cheers!

Fancy Fruit Cup

It's the middle of the week and today, we're recycling a cute old jam jar into this:

It's an earth-friendly container for a fresh fruit salad!

Quite fashionable if I should say so myself: a colorful paper napkin is tied around its waist like a Japanese Obi (belt). The rubber band keeps both napkin and bamboo fork in place.

Use your favorite fruits in season. Peel & cut them up into bite-size pieces, then toss in a bowl. Scoop into clean jam jars, dress it up and store in the fridge. It will be ready to go if you need a quick breakfast before dashing off to work or as a snack when you take the kids & pets to the park.

"Undress" the bottle and use the paper napkin as a placemat, to dab your lips and for easy clean-up.

This homemade fruit cup is guaranteed to be healthy (no sugary syrup or preservatives), inexpensive and will surely make your Mama (birth mom & Mother Earth) proud!

Spice, Spice, Baby!

These Bonne Maman jam jars are so adorable, I'm constantly thinking of ways to re-use them.

They make smart storage solutions for favorite herbs and spices. The lid closes tightly, contents can easily be seen and the jars can be stacked on top of each other.

I also like them because they have a wide mouth, making it easy to dip even the biggest measuring spoon. They're very practical and they make a delightful display on the pantry shelf!

Jam Session

I absolutely love Bonne Maman preserves! The strawberry jam paired with croissants and a cup of cappuccino is enough to get me out of bed on a cold morning. The jam isn't too sweet and I like the chunky strawberry pieces in every bite. Ok, I admit, I first fell in love with the jar: the red & white checkered lid reminds me of a country farmhouse, the jar itself has a wide opening with no curves like other jars, making it easy to scrape out the last bits of jam, and the white label with hand writing-like font adds a homemade appeal.

Bonne Maman is my jam of choice and I have a cupboard full of empty jars to prove it. So while the jar isn't entirely a blah, I'll be showing you some ideas to make them into a Tada! everyday this week.

Jam jars make nifty containers to assemble instant vinaigrettes for your salad: Just put the vinegar, lemon juice, oil, Dijon mustard, shallots, garlic, salt & pepper in the jar, screw on the lid, then shake! Keep it in the same jar and store in the fridge until you are ready to use the dressing.

Old to Gold

It was all about shoes this week and what woman doesn't get excited over that? While not all of us have a hundred dollar shoe budget, all of us have shoes playing the game of hide & seek in our closets. It's time to usher them out of hiding especially these days when hanging on to our pennies is the name of the game. A fashion revival is in order! The formula is simple: clean, polish and accessorize! And accessorizing means looking through our craft boxes (ex. lace appliques, grosgrain ribbon, ostrich feathers) and jewelry cases (ex. vintage clip-on earrings) to fashion a new look:

I think changing the personality of a black pair of shoes is loads of fun. Now you might think I totally over-looked the gold buckles originally attached to the shoe:

Of course not! We don't waste things in this blog! What was a blah is now a...

Tada!...the gold buckle instantly glams up a simple wood bangle

From shoe buckle to belt buckle...another Tada!

Even wooden boxes deserve a little gold! All together now..."Tada!"

And as a final Tada!...I used the gold buckles as accent buttons for a linen pillow cover.

Have a good weekend everyone!