Toys for Tots

Socks don't suck even if they're studded with holes or look old and abused.

Instead of tossing them away,
turn them from blah...

...to TADA!

Cut the socks in different shapes, hem the sides
and stuff them with fiber fill.

Then create some wacky new friends...

Coozai never leaves home without a bow tie.

Geordine looks like a jelly bean.

Sparkee loves being silly.

And Lola Loulou loves to wear a tutu!

Go ahead, dream up some characters & stories with your little ones.
If only to save those socks!

Socks & Gloves

Hooray! I'm blogging again after a virus found its way into my beloved computer. Oh the agony of not being able to post! But all is well now, or in my favorite words...yesterday was a blah and today is a TADA!

It's for this reason that I brought out these festive banners. Plus I've got another reason, too: my blog is now one year old! And what a fun ride it's been to "meet" all of you through your thoughts and most of all your encouragement. Thank you for stopping by to see what I've been up to and for generously leaving comments. Starting this blog is something I don't ever regret!

With a new year comes a new look and the promise of many beautiful, practical, doable blah to TADA! ideas that benefit our pockets and our planet. "Saving", in all its forms, has never been so good!

I hope you can join me and hold my hand as I begin another blogging year.

Socks & Gloves are this week's blahs. The ones at the back of the drawer. The ones with holes in them. The ones who've lost a pair. The lonely & neglected.

This blah pair was never used. They came in an amenity kit on an airplane ride I took a few years ago. But when you roll it up...

Tada! It turns into a cupcake!
A pin cushion cupcake to be exact.

Simply roll the sock and secure the ends by hand stitching. Place it in a colorful cupcake liner (secure bottom with hot glue) and add some "sprinkles" (sewing pins).

Keep one for your sewing needs.
Make more and give them out to your crafty friends
who love to sew.

Have a happy, happy Monday!

Today is TADA!

Hello Everyone! I am back after several weeks of computer failure...totally blah! I missed you guys! I missed sharing ideas. I missed posting. But I'm looking on the bright side and crossing my fingers that my computer stays in good shape.

I'm so happy to be back, I brought out some balloons to celebrate!

I owe you a few TADAs! featuring branded bags -- those free carryalls with not-so-subtle corporate logos. Here they are:

A little purse that's quite blah.

Cover the logo with felt and fluffy pompoms...

...Tada! So much more purse-sonality!

A navy blue tote that needs a make-over.

Take away the logo by adding a pocket.

Not just any pocket, but a pocket made for pencils!

Fill the bag with coloring books for toddlers or
a sketch pad & drawing pencils for older kids.

And finally...

A blah lunch bag that tells you where it's from.

Dress it up with some ribbon, and...

Tada! Lunch is cool inside & out!

Hope you are all having a great weekend!
See you Monday!

What a BLAH! There's something wrong with my computer & my photos are held hostage in my hard drive thus my inability to post:( Hope to fix this ASAP!

Free & Fun

Do you have some bags or pouches with company logos
as the main design?

Take for instance this pouch from an airline.

It came with a lanyard and inside, a pair of socks,
mints, toothbrush & toothpaste.

I wanted to use the pouch again, so I thought,
"Time for some blah to Tada!" magic.

I covered the logo with a row of multicolored buttons.

Then I replaced the lanyard with a shorter ribbon
that can go around my wrist.

Now the free bag is also a fun bag! I'll use it to hold my keys, some cash & a cellphone for quick trips to the supermarket. I can store a camera or iPod in it, too.

Wishing you a Tada! Tuesday!

Branded Bags

Hello and Happy Monday! I hope you had a good weekend. It's been pretty cold where I live so I tried to stay under the covers and enjoyed some hot tea & warm soup. But today I'm up and about, ready for a fun week of crafting! With my title "Branded Bags", the names Louis Vuitton and Chanel may have crossed your mind. Sorry folks, I'm talking about these kinds of brands:

The bags splashed with company logos that you get as a freebie on airlines or conferences. As you can see, I have quite a collection! We'll turn these blahs into Tadas! this week.

This is a pouch from an American Airlines flight. I like that it's bright red and the logo is pretty discreet.

I simply covered the old logo with a patch (I chose a nautical theme).

Tada! Nobody would suspect that I got this bag for free!

I can use it for kids' art materials. Or to store phone chargers & adapters when I travel.

Have an awesome week ahead!

Special Occasions

Let me cap "Calendar Week" with another blah to Tada! idea.

I'm not only using one calendar...

...I'm using two kinds to make a brand new calendar:

Tada! A birthday/anniversary calendar
that I can use each & every year.

I used the tent-style calendar as the base and covered the pages with construction paper. From the wall calendar, I cut out the months & dates then glued these on the blank page. I embellished further with magazine cut-outs.

Then I filled in the dates with my loved ones' birthdays & anniversaries. This special occasion calendar sits beside my current calendar so I'll never forget to greet these important people a "Happy Birthday" or "Happy Anniversary".

I added a pocket at the back of the calendar to hold greeting cards, envelopes & stamps that I can send out a few weeks before the special date. While it's easy to send a text or an e-mail, nothing melts the heart like a hand written-sealed with a kiss-postman delivered birthday card!

Have a happy Tada! weekend!