Books in Bloom

Hello there! Last week, I shared an idea on how to turn blah book pages into TADA! by making inexpensive art.

Along those lines, here's more inspiration:

I'm transforming an old book into a gift for a friend. To help me out, I'm using paint, an ink pad, and a rubber stamp.

I'm using the book page as my canvas.

Time to add a design.

And fill in with some color.

Then I drew a collection of flowers, added some color, and defined the flowers' edges with a fine tip pen.

Can you see what I made? It's a blooming letter B for my friend Barbara.

I put my humble artwork in a frame, ready to be wrapped and mailed to her for her new home. TADA!

Pretty Pages

Happy new week and happy new month!

Here's an idea if you're ready to spruce up your place for spring:

They're images printed on old book pages and then framed. I spotted them in a restaurant and I just had to take pictures for inspiration.

They're easy to reproduce by photocopying, sketching directly on the page, or making a collage. Tuck them into a picture frame and TADA! -- inexpensive art!

Snack Attack

Today, an easy re-purposing idea.

This is an item from the FEED for Target collaboration two years ago. I'm a big supporter of reusable products and this one fit the bill quite well. I really like the design and happy yellow print. It's light and made of BPA-free material. Plus a portion of the proceeds funded meals for undernourished children.

However, after many months of use, it started to leak. I found a wet spot inside my bag, not just once but a few other times. Yikes.

Instead of exchanging goodbyes, I decided to use it for something else...

I'm now using it to store snacks! Right now, I have chocolate sandwich wafers, but I use it for cookies, trail mix and chips, too. 

It holds a good amount, it has an air-tight seal (at least for non-liquid contents), the handle makes it easy to carry around, and it snugly fits in car's cup holder.

How's that for blah to TADA!?

Lemon Bars

This week, thoughts of YELLOW fill my mind to get me out of this frosty winter weather. Thus this project in the kitchen: 

I made a batch of lemon bars! I followed this recipe but replaced a few of the regular lemons with meyer lemons resulting in a sweeter pastry. 

I just love that final dusting of confectioner's sugar. 

 But why cut and decorate them in the traditional way when I've got these to play with?

A cookie cutter and a stencil turns an ordinary dessert from blah to TADA!

They've gone from neighborhood bakery to a patisserie level!

And serving it on a wooden board just adds to the charm. TADA!

And It Was All Yellow

Happy Monday! How's the weather where you are? It's been terribly cold here, like 2 degrees Fahrenheit cold! There's no other way to survive but to bundle up and think happy thoughts.

My happy thoughts? An island getaway, picnic in the park, a backyard barbecue, a bouquet of sunflowers, banana pudding, and sweet tea.  

Clearly these are all things I associate with warm, sunny days.

As I summon the sunshine, I have the theme of YELLOW in mind. This week, I'll have three blah to TADA! ideas to share with you. Let's begin with this craft:

Here's a box that was once home for chocolate covered raisins. 

It's made of birch veneer, raw and unfinished.

I think a little painting is in order.

I put on several layers of this cheerful yellow, allowing the paint to dry in between coats.

I also painted the inside of the box.

I'm using it to wrap a present. Instead of a ribbon, a colorful strip of fabric scrap.

Then I top it off with this laser cut bird. I'm still undecided whether to paint the bird or not. What do you think?

A whole new look for an old blah box. TADA!

Chocolatey Spoons

When the temperature registers at single digits, all I can think of is staying in my pajamas under the sheets. But when I have to be outdoors on said days, I like to reward myself with chocolate.

This is a silicone mold that I bought on a trip to London a few years ago. It yields chocolate spoons used to garnish desserts.

All we need to do is melt some chocolate on a double-boiler.

When the chocolate chips have melted into this silky consistency, it's ready to be poured into the mold.

To minimize the mess, use two teaspoons to transfer the chocolate. Allow this to sit in the fridge for a few hours.

When the chocolate has hardened, time to release them from the mold.

Here's how I like my hot chocolate: not too sweet, served French style (in a bowl), and topped with a toasted marshmallow. 

A chocolate spoon on the side makes it extra special. I can take bites in between sips.

Or I can let it melt into the beverage for a double chocolate kick. TADA!

Hot Chocolate

It's been unbearably cold these past few weeks. Some days there is snow, some days are sunny, but the temperature is always, always below zero. Blah. 

But it's February -- that time of year when it's alright to reward oneself with chocolate for all the cold weather we have to endure. 

So I braved the blustery weather and made a beeline at City Bakery where they're having their annual Hot Chocolate Festival. TADA!

There's a new flavor for each day of the month.

This one is the Espresso Hot Chocolate. You can't really taste the espresso but it does bring out the chocolate flavor more. You can get a shot just like this one or purchase a regular coffee cup size.

Homemade marshmallows are optional but always a decadent treat.

Tomorrow, please stop by for a craft that's all about chocolate. Have a nice day!