Matchbook Magazine

Yesterday, I paid tribute to some lovely magazines

that have stopped publication. A big blah for fans like me.

The TADA! is that a bunch of free on-line magazines

are grabbing my attention and I just can't get enough.

Today's pick:

Matchbook Magazine was launched just this January 2011

by once students in Switzerland & now bestie travel buds

Katie Armour and Jane Lilly Warren.

It's "A field guide to the charmed life," inspiring women

around the world to design a life they adore.

To date, they already have 7 issues.

Passionate, creative and influential members

of the design world grace the covers.

Of course you'll find fashion & style inside

its pages.

As well as decorating and art.

There's travel & culture too.

What I like best is that there's a lot of references

to history but the way it's presented isn't boring

at all. Just check out the "Datebook", "Icon",

"Ten Things You Didn't Know About..." and

"Encyclopedia" sections.

Another thing I like is the strong focus on bloggers

(who are not necessarily professional writers)

as contributors to the magazine.

If you go to the Matchbook site, be ready to

get lost in it's pages, learn something new

and find some inspiration!

My Favorite Magazines

Let me begin the week by telling you about my all

time favorite magazines. They were all so TADA!

but they've since shut down the doors of their

offices. I miss receiving them in my mail

box and flipping through their glossy,

mesmerizing pages. Such a blah.

Maybe they were your favorites too?

Domino was a hip, approachable decorating &

shopping magazine. I liked that the homes

featured in its pages were lived-in, filled with

pieces collected over time & brimming

with character.

They closed in 2009.

Gourmet was a trusted expert in food trends &

entertaining. I miss Editor-in-Chief Ruth Reichl

who's such a colorful personality.

The magazine ended its run in 2009.

ReadyMade was the little magazine that could.

It promoted the Do-It-Yourself movement

whether building a table or building a business

and the pride that comes with making things

with your hands.

June/July 2011 was their last issue.

She is a British Magazine with a long history

(it's been around since 1955), it's lively pages filled

with food, fashion, entertaining and decorating.

Whenever I bought it in London, it came with

freebies like a bag, cosmetic bag or paperback!

Yet again, another closing.

The last issue comes out this August.

News like this breaks my heart.

I know how much work editors &

contributors put into a magazine.

I hope that the talents that have

lost their jobs will or have moved on

to greater things.

As for us readers, I'm happy to note that

the number of on-line magazines are now

growing. All this week, I'll introduce

a new one to you (if you haven't made

their acquaintance yet).

Let's begin with Sweet Paul:

Born in the Spring of 2010 to Paul Lowe,

a food & prop stylist, crafter & blogger.

I love this magazine because of its cheerful

simplicity with a touch of whimsy.

It showcases easy recipes, simple crafts,

and wish-list worthy products for ladies,

moms, kids and even pets.

My favorite sections include "Keep

Your Eye On" (up & coming creatives),

"Crafty Friday" and pages of recipes, each

with a memorable story attached to it.

Sweet Paul is also into crafty recycling!

You'll see it here, here & here.

Check it out...I think you'll like it. :-)

Floating Lights

Hey, hey, we made it to Friday!

Did you like my summer lights ideas this week?

Here's one more:

Number 1 blah: empty glass jars

Number 2 blah: produce sacks

Number 3 blah: battery operated votives

{I must admit, they're really a TADA!}

Number 1 + Number 2 + Number 3 = TADA!

A few homemade lanterns! Wanna see?

Hang them on something sturdy like tree branches.

They look like glowing fish caught in a net.

They even resemble fireflies!

Have a radiant weekend my dears!

CANdle Light

On this lovely Thursday, I want to extend the life of these

aluminum cans:

They're quite blah, don't you think?

But if you take a hammer & a nail to make

a few holes all around the can...

And add in a votive candle; light it up...

TADA! Instant luminaries!

Just imagine how a bunch of these can

make your garden glow!

Have a nice day!

From Plant Container to Candle Holder

Let me show you a few plant pots that I got from Target's

dollar section a few years ago:

They remind me a lot of Japanese ceramics.

These pots come out every summer because I like

to grow fresh herbs in them. This was the first

summer I tried it. For the succeeding summers,

I took the herbs out of the plastic containers &

replanted them directly into the pots.

But when the herbs have been used & summer is over,

the pots are kept to wait for next year.

Such a blah.

Until I thought of an idea:

Turn the pots over and use them as candle holders!

Perfect for any season.

TADA!

Let there be Light

Today, I'm taking a few blah things out of storage.

The first is this set of lights which I only use for

the holidays to dress up a tree or door frame.

The second is this vase that only gets to

hold flowers once or twice a year.

But what if we put them together?

Simply plug it in and...

Two blahs transformed into a TADA!

Now I can use this light fixture all throughout the year!

See you tomorrow.

Summer Lights

Happy new week everyone!

It's the middle of August and I'm in a slight panic.

I'm realizing that summer is slowly slipping away.

It's my favorite season because I like the weather

(even if it can get a bit steamy and humid) &

there are so many things going on outdoors.

So I promise to dine outside as often as I can

whether it's at the park, the terrace of a nearby

restaurant or just my balcony.

And it's this reason why all this week, it's all about

"summer lights" and how to make them.

Let's start the week with this one:

blah: empty soda bottles

Fill them with something colorful like beads, marbles, beans,

cute-shaped pasta or sweets (ex. Smarties wafer candy).

Other options include gum balls or gummy bears.

Then add candles and TADA!, a pretty and

practical centerpiece for a picnic table!