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!

Make Your Own Soap

This book has so many ideas too keep kids and,

in my case, adults busy on the craft table.

I got it from this awesome bookstore:

The Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in New York City.

The amount I paid for the book will help people affected by AIDS

and the book has given me so many ways to turn boxes, crayons

and everyday kitchen staples from blah to TADA!

A win-win situation for everyone, even Mama Earth!

Today, we're making soap from left-over slivers.

Blah: slivers of soap or never-used bars

taken from a hotel stay.

Turn these into soap flakes using a grater or peeler.

{Have one solely for crafting purposes, not for food.}

You'll need 2 cups of soap flakes.

Put the soap flakes in a bowl

{I used a clean plastic take-out container},

then add 1/4 cup water.

Mix these together & squeeze them

between your fingers 'til well mixed & stiff.

{You may add a few drops of perfume,

essential oil or food color if you like.}

Roll the soap into balls or use a mold like

this plastic cookie container {packed very well}.

Let the soap air-dry for at least one week, then unmold,

making sure the soap doesn't crack in the middle.

If this happens, the soap needs more time to dry.

TADA! New bars of soap!

Use this as hand soap

{put one on a pretty dish}

for the kitchen or bath.

Have a great day!

Clay Jewelry

Howdy! So nice to see you today!

This week, I'm taking you on a shopping trip

to the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe

in New York City.

I can spend many hours here to savor a snack

and browse through the shelves.

This is what I bought -- I'm trying out the crafts

with my blah to TADA! touch.

On Page 37, the author has a recipe

for clay jewelry.

Here's what we'll need:

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup salt

1 tbsp warm water or as needed {I used 8 tablespoons}

liquid tempera paint & paint brush

Mix together the flour, cornstarch & salt.

Add water gradually until the mixture

forms a soft dough.

Roll the mixture into balls to make beads.

Allow the beads to dry for a few hours,

then poke a hole using a skewer.

Allow to dry.

The smaller the beads,

the faster the drying time.

{It took me about a week to get

the beads to fully dry & harden.}

Here's what they look like.

Now, it's time to paint!

To quickly get paint all over the bead, use this

trick of putting each bead on a skewer.

You'll need two to three coats of paint.

Make sure to paint the bottom hole too,

once the bead is removed from the skewer.

Let this dry for a few hours.

TADA! Your very own handmade beads!

String them on thread (regular or elastic).

And make your own jewelry like a necklace or bracelet!

This is a fun summer activity for kids

that they can proudly wear.