Japanese Cherry Blossoms

Happy Monday everyone!

A dear friend of mine sent me this postcard from her holiday in Japan. How lucky was she to be there during the cherry blossom season! 

Cherry blossoms or sakura are a sight to behold, especially if they are planted in clusters. The Japanese even have a tradition called Hanami or "viewing of flowers". I think any reason to stop and appreciate nature is TADA!

Where I live, I get to experience Hanami even if I'm many miles away from Japan. I simply go to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Around mid to end April, the cherry blossoms are at their peak. Being surrounded by pink trees is so surreal, it's like living in a fairy tale!

After a long winter, the trees exhibit these pastel flowers before growing their leaves. 

It's a common sight for urban dwellers to sit under this glorious canopy of pink. There are lots of picnickers, mommies and babies on a play date, and couples out to enjoy an afternoon. 

Japanese in this part of the world get to live and share their culture.

It's no surprise that many photographers and painters come here to capture this fleeting season. 

So beautiful. Sigh. 

A confetti of petals.

Sakura-inspired merchandise at the Garden Shop. 

 I zeroed in on the dishes and teapot-shaped salt and pepper shakers.

If you're ever in New York City, a visit to the garden will surely turn your day from blah to TADA!

Wear the Word

Hooray it's Friday! This week was all about bookshops, libraries and old books. Aren't they TADA!?

Today, I'm finding inspiration from crafters who've turned old book pages into jewelry. 

via etsy

This one's a pendant.

You can wear it with a chain, cord or ribbon.

via etsy

Dainty, dangling earrings.

via etsy

These are stud earrings for your little worrier friend.

via etsy

Leather wrap bracelets for a reader or writer.

via etsy

A statement ring that instantly takes you to Paris.

May you all have a wonderful weekend!

Old Book, New Use

Do you have some books with nothing better to do but gather dust on your shelf? Why not sell them, donate them or join a swap? Somewhere out there, someone may just want that book of yours.

I found this box in a tiny literary shop in Red Hook, Brooklyn. I helped myself to this book. New York is a culinary town and it helps to have a guide on where to go, don't you agree?

It was nice to read about the back story of many New York institutions, but this book was published in the mid-80's. In some ways, it was quite outdated.

Here's how I turned my free book from blah to TADA!:

It's inspired by a photo posted by Fiona on Cafe Cartolina. All she did was take an old book, fold the pages in half towards the spine.

Instead of folding right in the middle of the page {thus resulting in a flat sheet} like Fiona did, I decided to keep the petal shapes of the pages. 

 I kept going until I achieved a half-moon shape.

Then I randomly put in some things that needed my attention -- business cards of people whose websites/shops I want to check out, flyers of up-coming events, and thank you notes that I need to write. I even added my watercolor daffodil for a pop of color.

This is also a TADA! idea to display your business cards if you're a boutique owner or in your booth at a craft fair -- keeps them from flying with the wind.

And because I only used a section of the book, there's space below to lay writing instruments or a cup of coffee {no need for a coaster}.

An old blah book is now an organization tool. TADA!

A Sweet Surprise

Did you hear about this man who bought a secondhand book from Amazon? The book arrived and -- lo and behold -- it was signed by the author.

via imgur.com

The author: Martin Luther King, Jr.! And the man paid only $3.50 for it. Talk about blah to TADA! Hopefully, I'll get lucky the next time I poke my nose around a thrift store.

Maybe we can provide that gasp of surprise the next time someone opens a book. 

via Martha Stewart

I got this idea from the May issue of Martha Stewart Living. Artist Jordana Martin cut up a bunch of printed hearts, then puts them inside books she gives as gifts. 

I followed her instructions using blah paper scraps. Then I stuffed them randomly inside a book.

That way, when I lend a book or give one away, the recipient gets a shower of lovable confetti!

Here's another fun idea I got from Belen. When she borrows books from the library, she leaves a note inside the book before returning it. She uses sticky notepaper doodled with "Hello" or "Have a great day". Wouldn't you like that little shout out if you were the one who discovered the note?

Here's my version -- a tiny recommendation. I hope this doesn't get me in trouble with the librarian!

Let's all share the love, shall we?

An Ode to Books

Hello everyone! Thanks for stopping by today. Can I tell you about a certain blah in my life? There are no more bookstores in my neighborhood.

First it was Borders -- I wouldn't let a week go by without a visit.

Then Barnes and Noble closed, too. 

It makes me sad. I know it's easier to buy books on-line these days {whether real books or electronic ones}, but nothing beats the feeling of stepping into a bookstore -- exploring the new releases or second hand versions, finding a corner, and perusing pages of potential buys.  I also love how a new book smells.

via Oh So Beautiful Paper/Kelly Cummings

This guy expressed it so well. Maybe he and I should hang out.

I sort of accepted the reality that bookstores are becoming a rare species...until I visited one that was out of the way. Then the feelings of longing came back. Why does this neighborhood get to keep their Barnes?! 

Geez. Thanks for listening to my rant. I know there are still many folks out there who are patrons of bookstores and real books. Maybe you'll enjoy these crafty finds:

via Etsy

A set of postcards

via Etsy

An cross-stitched bookmark

via Etsy

A print made from an old dictionary page

Even if bookstores are slowly disappearing, may we never lose the love for reading. That, I think, is TADA!

A Breathtaking Library

Hello friends! I trust you had a TADA! weekend?

One of my all-time favorite Disney Princess movies is Beauty and the Beast. The music is memorable {ex. "Be our Guest" and "Beauty and the Beast"} and the animation impressive. There are many lessons like "looking beyond appearances". Also, Belle the heroine proved to be a strong and independent lady. 

Here is a scene I can't get out of my head:

To win her affection, the Beast takes Belle to this part of the castle. He asks her to close her eyes. He leads her into the dark room, then swiftly opens the heavy drapery.

"Open your eyes," the Beast says to Belle. And this is what she sees -- floor to ceiling shelves covered in books.

Belle is a voracious reader and a dreamer who loves getting lost in a good story. This was enough to take her breath away.

Look at her precious reaction! This was my reaction, too, when I saw this:

via Rocket News 24

It's the El Ateneo bookstore in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Gasp-worthy, right?

via Rocket News 24

You can easily tell it was an old theater. Racks of books and modern amenities were added. 

via Rocket News 24

The painted ceiling...

via Rocket News 24

...the stage, carvings and columns were well-preserved. 

via Rocket News 24

How's that for blah to TADA!? You can find more images here. I hope I'll be able to set foot on this bookstore someday. And you can guarantee, I'll have Belle's drop-jaw reaction, too. 

Have a happy Monday!

Flowers on Gifts

I'm intoxicated with flowers! I guess you can tell with all my blog posts about these blooming beauties. I can't help it -- they are one of life's simplest pleasures.

So today, a blah to TADA! transformations with flowers.

I'm wrapping some presents using some bouquets. 

Okay, they're not real...just pictures. 

This one's from an envelope. 

Isn't it too pretty to throw out? 

I cut around it and glued it on a blah package,

then tied on a ribbon. TADA!

This other one's from a magazine subscription mailer. 

I trimmed the edges and infused some shine. 

I added glitter to the edges {held in place with all purpose glue}. Here's a tip when bringing on the sparkly: use a box to avoid the mess, plus you can return the left-over glitter to its container {can you say blah to TADA!}.

The graph paper and the printed ribbon would suffice, but hey, this bouquet adds so much more spice!

When wrapping gifts, it pays to sift through your junk mail, don't you think?

Wishing you a sunshine-y weekend!