Wisteria Waterfall

I've told you many times before that Anthropologie is one of my favorite stores. They have beautiful merchandise and their window displays are out of this world!

Here's a ceiling installation that I was truly impressed with:

It's a cascade of pink and purple wisteria. Very lush and dramatic.

But if you zoom in, you'll discover what they're made of: balloons! Balloons that aren't inflated, just tied and tucked in to look like buds of flowers. The other elements are made from paper and the "vine" is really just yarn. 

Truly, this transformation is blah to TADA!

Have a beautiful week you guys!

A Summer Barbecue

Happy Fourth of July! Here's a collage that gets me all excited for a fun in the sun summer afternoon:

I hope you'll all have a wonderful day!

Crafts from the Book "Back in the Day Bakery"

Yesterday, I wrote about a cookbook that I really enjoyed.

I mean, with illustrations like this spread out all over the book, you know that a lot of heart and soul was put into its making. 

The book is called "Back in the Day Bakery (Made With Love)" with recipes from the bakery with the same name. 

The bakery, owned by Cheryl and Griffith Day, is located in Savannah, Georgia. Look, they even have a shelf within the bakery selling little take home gifts.

The cookbook is filled with many delectable sweets and savories. 

But the cookbook also has crafts. My kind of combination!

Here are my favorites:

A cake topper for a milestone birthday.

A lunchbox made from an old canister/ice bucket.

A whimsical chandelier made of straws, cupcake liners, and marshmallows.

A cupcake "surprise ball" filled with tiny toys and treats.

And the cutest cake-shaped party hat!

This cake plate wasn't a featured craft but I think I'd like to make something similar using an old, blah plate and a marker like what I did here.  It can be used for many celebrations and can become an heirloom piece for the family. TADA!

Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook

Hi there! I came across a cookbook that I truly, truly love.  It's called "Back in the Day Bakery Made with Love".

It's written by a lovely couple, Cheryl and Griffith Day.

The recipes here are based on the goodies they serve at their bakery in Savannah, Georgia, also called "Back in the Day Bakery". It looks like that neighborhood spot where everyone likes to hang out. I can't wait to visit someday!

And with the name alone, you know that you'll be well fed and the flavors will just bring you back to your childhood.

Now back to the cookbook:

The illustrations inside are darling.

The choice of colors are also very uplifting.

The food styling is fun and approachable.

And there are many recipes I wanted to get my hands on.

This! This recipe for Banoffee Pie (short for Banana and Toffee) was a sure winner. 

It's made of a graham cracker crumb crust with a filling of dulce de leche, bananas and cream, then topped with chocolate. What's not to love?

I've made several versions of this and it's been received with a lot of enthusiasm. An easy go-to dessert is always TADA!

If you can stop by tomorrow, I'll show you some crafts from the cookbook. See you then. 

A Copper Jello Mold

A few years ago, I was at a New York City flea market where I found this:

It's a copper jello mold. I fell in love with its shape. Even if you didn't use it, it would be a pretty accent to a kitchen wall (see the little hanging hook on top?).

Good thing it has a practical purpose that I don't mind using. Just pour gelatin-based desserts right in and let it set.

This dessert is called Cathedral Windows or Stained Glass Cake, made of different colored Jello suspended in a panna cotta. It's light and not too sweet.

It resembles the stained glass windows you can find in many churches.

This is a strawberry panna cotta (there are diced strawberries inside).

I can't wait to make more desserts out of this copper mold. I'll find out if I can use it to bake cakes, too.

May you all have a sweet week, folks!

Dad's Day

Whether you're Daddy, Dad, Papa, Pops...today is your day! 

Thank you for all that you do!

A Tote Bag Transformation

I always have a reusable bag with me wherever I go. It's the easiest way to be eco-friendly and eliminates the number of plastic bags used when doing groceries.

Here's a canvas bag that folds up into a neat package when empty.

It's a good size, quite roomy, and can easily be thrown in the wash.

However, it looks a little blah.

I found these canvas embellishments at the craft store for 50 cents a pack. It occured to me that I could dress up my tote bag with these.

I laid them out, choosing a right spot for each one.

I did the same on the other side.

I relied on fabric glue to attach them to the bag.

And because I wanted to tightly secure them, I sewed them on using embrodiery floss.  

An embroidery hoop made the task easier.

The combination of red and blue thread added some color:

And that is how I turned this tote bag from blah to TADA!