Bottled Gold

Happy Friday!

We've reached the end of the week &

what fun we had with bottles.

Here's a final idea to

get you to do some recycling.

Have I told you that I love

pretty packaging?

But let's face it, an empty bottle is

just so blah.

So let's turn it into TADA! with these

simple steps:

Remove the label (soaking it is an easy trick).

Clean & dry the bottle.

Add you favorite cooking oil (mine is olive oil).

Attach a pouring spout at the opening.

Now, pouring oil in the pan or over food is easy!

Have a fun weekend & to all you moms out there,

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY on Sunday!

The world would never be the same without you :)

A Bottle of Cleanliness

Happy Thursday!

Today, I've got another bottle make-over.

Here's a super cute bottle that I saved

and cleaned.

Add a pouring spout & some dish soap...

the blah is now a TADA!

It's an alternative to this soap pump

I made a few weeks ago.

Enjoy your day!

Hanging Beauties

Happy Wednesday!

Bottles & jars are fun to recycle.

Today, I found another idea to turn these:

From blah to...

TADA! - decorative jars!

These are sold at Anthropologie,

but can be easily re-created at home using

a little bit of wire & some beads, all

twisted together.

Here are some ideas to spruce them up:

(1) Add votive candles

(2) Pour in some water & add some flowers or leaves

(3) Water + food coloring = tinted water

(4) Put in some sand & some shells for a beach-y feel

Then hang these up from the branches in your backyard

for a springtime or summer party!

Isn't it awesome to find ideas while you're shopping?

See you tomorrow!

Light & Bright

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

It's all about bottles on my blog this week.

If you love wine, I know you've got a

lot of these blah empty bottles!

Look at what the geniuses at Anthropologie did:

TADA! The bottles found second life as

garden lights.

The bottom of the bottles were taken out,

bulbs were added & then attached to

a string of electric current.

Fabulous!

Here's another cool one found at

Pottery Barn:

A wine bottle chandelier!

(last two photos courtesy of Pottery Barn)

Beautifully constructed and makes for

a great conversation piece in any

dining room.

On my mind right now:

(1) I wish I had thought of these ideas, and

(2) I want one of each!

Have a great day!

Bottle Mania

Happy Monday Everyone!

This week, bottles get a make-over.

You know how practical these water bottles are

but they're very hazardous to the environment.

I was thinking of how to re-use them when

the answers came to me as I did

a little window shopping.

This is Anthropologie's Spring 2010 window display.

Notice that all the flowers are out.

Look closer and you'll be surprised to see

that the flowers are made from plastic

water bottles!

Definitely a blah to TADA! transformation!

Here's another cool idea I found at the Terracycle pop-up store

in New York City (West 42nd St. & 8th Ave.):

The bottoms of blah plastic bottles were

turned into TADA! plant pots!

They make a gorgeous hanging garden,

don't you think?

Did You Say Christmas?

I know, it's only April and I'm already thinking of Christmas.

It all started with a shopping trip at the Salvation Army.

I found this voluptuous Martha Stewart vase

for only $1.99! I filled it with flowers for

a dear friend.

Now, even if the flowers wilt away,

she can use the vase during

spring, summer, autumn and...

...even during winter!

She can fill it with Christmas balls

to liven up a mantle or credenza.

A candle in a festive color can also

nest here.

I'm hoping I've given you a neat idea for

a hostess gift or inspired you to use those

vases you have all year round.

Happy Weekend!

When Autumn Comes

I'm taking these flowers to a dinner party.

The flowers are really the gift, I just included the vase to spare my host the trouble of doing an impromptu arrangement when she, obviously, is busy cooking & entertaining.

I found the vase at the Salvation Army thrift store. I thought it was really pretty, it has the "Martha Stewart" sticker at the bottom and it was so inexpensive!

But when all the flowers are gone, it doesn't mean you have to put it away or throw it away.

When Autumn comes, fill it with a handful of pine cones

or colorful leaves to bring the outdoors in!

It can also be a hang-out for pears

& apples as you wait for them to ripen.

So many ideas for a single vase!

More to come tomorrow.

Have a nice day!