Hostess Presents

It's Thanksgiving tomorrow and we've been invited to a cousin's house to feast on turkey, side dishes too many to count on your fingers, and of course sinful dessert! Now, when you're invited to a party, it's always TADA! to bring a hostess present, be it a bottle of wine, a sweet treat or a vase of flowers. I'm sharing a few more ideas for the parties you'll be attending now that the holidays are here.

For a couple who love to entertain...

...a bouquet of chopsticks they can use for an

Asian-themed party!

I got this set from a trip to Bangkok a few years back.

Whenever you travel, it's always a good idea to take

home unique souvenirs like this that can be used

as presents, favors or prizes.

Here's a better look at the wooden chopsticks,

with pouches made of fancy fabric and

elephant accents.

Another beautiful and useful gift

is a throw:

Pick a color that your host adores

and have it monogrammed if the

shop allows it.

Throws come in handy as an accent to

a chair or couch, and can easily pulled

over when reading or watching TV.

And finally, every home needs

a set of coasters:

These ones are made of linen and

are personalized with the recipient's

family initials.

Don't forget to take a gift when you're

invited to a party. It's definitely the

polite thing to do!

A Pretty Pie Topper

For Thanksgiving, I'm planning to bake a pie. Possibly pumpkin since I've never made one before and it's one of the traditional pies you'll find on the Thanksgiving table. In the past, we served store bought and they were really good. This year, we'll try a homemade one. Mmmm.

I have all the ingredients and I've got my trusted pie plate which I use when making quiches and graham crust pies. I've also been thinking of how to decorate it.

Maybe use mini leaf-shaped cookie cutters

like this one from Martha Stewart?

Instead of covering the top, I'll keep

the leaves on the edges.

Another version using scalloped circle

cutters, also from Martha Stewart.

Pumpkin pies don't have a lattice top

but I'll remember this modern lattice

when making an apple pie

or berry tart in the future.

But here's another idea I'm leaning towards:

It's a fun & festive pie topper made from skewers,

ribbon, paper, cut-outs and alphabet pasta!

Hooray Jordan for creating this.

I like what it says, too:

Have a grateful heart

Be conscious of your treasures

Definitely TADA! in my book!

Centerpiece Ideas for Thanksgiving

I hope your weekend was divine!

This Thursday, we're celebrating Thanksgiving here in the U.S., a holiday marked with a gathering of family and friends, one that may involve travel, hours of preparing a hearty turkey dinner and personal traditions like watching the spectacular Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

If you're hosting Thanksgiving this year, here is a round-up of easy centerpieces to add a festive touch to your table. They make use of old jars & bottles that are quite blah, but with a little magic, they become TADA!

Fill old bottles with assorted floral bouquets; even if the flowers are from the corner deli or supermarket, when the same varieties are clustered together, the look is elevated! This idea is from the girls at Sunday Suppers.

Jordan, over at Oh Happy Day, created these personalized vases that can be used as seating cards at a wedding or place cards at a dinner party. What's even more special is that guests can take these home!

Check out this easy way to brighten up glass votive holders just by adding dry corn kernels. A lovely concept by Amanda Joy of Joy Ever After.

I'm in love with this D-I-Y chandelier made of flowers, candles, jars and twine. So dreamy on a summer night outdoors and still romantic when placed indoors on Thanksgiving night. Found this on the BZ Events blog.

Here's another version that's hung on a blank wall, discovered in the Ruffled blog. Match the flowers to the season like autumn leaves, red roses and orange mums for fall. You can fill the bottles with some acorns and twigs, too.

As you've seen in these examples, making a centerpiece or floral arrangement need not be blah, hard or fussy when entertaining for the holidays.

Block Printing

I hope you're having a good Friday!

This week was all about blah to TADA!

crafts inspired by this book:

If you haven't had the chance to check it out, you might want to go to the library or order yourself a copy. You'll enjoy the house tours and DIY projects that you can implement in your home to make it even more vibrant and comfortable.

Today, these are my pegs:

A block-printed duvet by Kate Pruitt; the block

print "stamp" is made from scrap cardboard

Stamped fabric curtains by Clara Klein; this

"stamp" is made of craft foam

Instead of rummaging for materials in

my craft bin, I've sought the vegetable

bin in fridge instead.

We'll use some lettuce!

We normally cut off the bottom and just throw it away.

But if you take a look, it has a pretty pattern.

Use this as the "stamp" and dip it in a shallow

puddle of paint.

Here it is on paper -- doesn't it look

like a blushing rose?

Use it as a recurring pattern on paper bags.

Now, a blah paper bag is a TADA!

A neat idea for the holidays!

Experiment with other fruits or vegetables,

as well as colors of paint.

Have a superb weekend!

Spring flowers in Autumn

E-readers and tablet computers are all the rage these days. And while I appreciate the convenience and thrill of these gadgets, I'm still drawn to books. I still like snooping around bookstores for new releases and old favorites.

As I've mentioned this week, one book that I picked up recently is Design Sponge at Home written by blogger Grace Bonney. The pages dance with things for a beautiful, but still personal and comfortable home.

I've been having a ball trying out the crafts outlined in the book. Today, I'm making something inspired by this:

Ink jet transfers on placemats, a project by Kate Pruitt

Instead of placemats, I'm putting photo

transfers on this blah canvas bag.

I picked hi-resolution photos that I took myself. I love to take photos of flowers and now that the cold months have arrived, I wanted to keep a little reminder of the coming spring, thus these pink blooms.

I printed the photos on ink jet paper.

Then I cut around the designs and planned the layout.

Then I peeled off the paper backing, positioned the design

on the bag {facing up}, covered it with overlay paper

and ironed away for several minutes

with firm pressure.

A blah bag is now TADA!

A vibrant reminder of spring as autumn fades

and winter begins.

Display Dome

Hey, hey, how are you today?

I'm gathering a few crafty ideas from this book.

Today, I'm doing a mash-up of

three different projects:

recycled cake stands by Kate Pruitt

log dome display jar by Kate Pruitt

butterfly dome by Jessica Oreck

Here's what we need:

blah: an empty glass jar

blah: a glass base for a pillar candle & a candle stick

When you put them together...

TADA!: Instant display dome!

But let's add something inside

to make it even more TADA!

blah: butterflies made with a butterfly puncher

and old magazine pages

Sandwich a piece of wire between two butterfly

cutouts using all purpose glue.

Use varying lengths of wire,

then allow these to dry.

Meanwhile, make a base for the butterflies.

Trace the mouth of the glass jar on a piece

of Styrofoam and cut around it using

a blade or X-acto knife.

Stick in the wire, making sure each

butterfly is visible.

Gingerly insert the butterflies into

the glass jar and use the Styrofoam

base as a stopper.

Put this on top of the homemade pedestal.

Secure each section of the display dome

with hot glue, super glue or putty.

TADA! It's a butterfly dome display stand!

And it's pretty in every angle!