Lovely Journals

Happy Monday!

I hope you a had a thrilling weekend.

In my neck of the woods, the sun was out,

the temperatures higher and that's

a definitely a TADA!

Do you like journals?

I like them a lot.

I make sure to stop and say HELLO

to these beautiful blank books when

I'm at a bookshop or paper goods store.

I've picked some up over the years & I really

use them, even if sometimes I think they're

too pretty for scribbling random thoughts.

I'll show you all this week how I'm filling

them up, beginning with this one:

TADA! -- A Kitchen Journal.

{The cover had a lot to do with

the choice for use.}

I designed a mission statement for

the inside front cover.

It's full of recipes I want to try &

keep making over and over.

{Actual recipe cards, hand-written &

clipped from magazines}

It also has inspirations for entertaining

and presenting food with style.

It's now getting too fat, it needs its own shelf.

Or maybe I should start Volume II.

See you tomorrow for more ideas.

And by the way,

Happy Valentine's Day!

A Winter Walk

All this week, I was ranting about how winter

can be such a blah and how I cope

while staying indoors.

Today, I'm celebrating winter's TADAs!

C'mon, take a walk with me.

I think winter is TADA! after the

snow has fallen and the ground is

immaculately white.

Even if the holidays are over,

it still looks like Christmas

when snow settles on the trees.

Shadows are more dramatic

on an icy, white canvas.

Winter can be quite solitary,

but it's good to drown in one's

thoughts sometimes.

But the biggest TADA! of winter...

...the promise of spring!

Happy Friday Lovelies.

Snuggly Soft

Are you experiencing winter weather

where you live?

Do you think the cold, dark days are blah or TADA?

I try my best to deal with it with hot drinks

and soft things.

Including this nice and cuddly throw.

A TADA! if I should say so myself.

It warms me up on the sofa as I

watch a romantic comedy or

devour a fabulous book.

I wish you a beautiful Thursday!

Wear a Hug

Oh winter, sometimes you make me feel so blah.

Sure, you're pretty to look at,

but slushy roads and below zero

temperature ain't fun. Sigh.

Thank goodness for fleece robes

that keep me warm & toasty.

No doubt a TADA! in my book!

Walking on Clouds

This week, I'm taking a little break from

crafting to tell you about how I'm dealing

with this winter weather in the East Coast.

I think winter is a blah when the days

are dark, dreary and numbingly cold.

A simple & TADA! solution -- these soft, cushy socks!

They're thick & warm. Hmmmmn.

Heavenly.

Here's a tip: Slather some lotion or

petroleum jelly on your feet before

putting on some socks.

Do this before bedtime and your feet

will be smooth & not winter weary.

The Winter Blahs

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope you had a TADA! weekend,

and for you sports fans out there,

a super Super Bowl Sunday.

Today, let's talk about the

weather, shall we?

Where I live, it's been snowing every week.

And while falling snow is just magical,

mountains of dirty snow are forming

on every sidewalk, the roads are

slippery and it's freezing!

This is not Alaska.

It's the Hudson River!

{The seagulls don't seem to mind.}

Since it's too cold to play outdoors,

I'll tell you how I turn this

blah situation into a TADA!

I make me some hot chocolate!

I poured it into a bowl so

both my hands are warmed

when I take a sip.

TADA!

This is one of my favorite brands.

It's thick, rich and not too sweet.

And what's hot chocolate without

marshmallows?

These ones from Trader Joe's

just have the right hint of mint!

Have a wonderful day!

Please Send a Valentine

I'm thinking that many of you dismiss Valentine's Day as just an ordinary day. I'm with you on that one, I must admit. I don't expect flowers or an evening on the town. But I don't mind sending out Valentine cards. Especially if it's for a worthy cause.

As I've told you last Monday, ETSY and Citymeals-on-Wheels will share the love to elderly New Yorkers by providing hot & healthy meals, heart-warming greeting cards and friendly fellowship. This project is called:

And ETSY wants us to join in! All we need to do is to make a card (or more) and send these to the ETSY Office. You'll find all the details and FAQs here.

I've been taking advantage of my time indoors (due to the wild winter), turning blah materials into TADA! greeting cards. I just can't stop! In my mind, I imagine that an elderly lady or gentleman's day will be brightened because of something simple as a Valentine card.

Here are the new ones I made:

Using gift wrap scraps

Reusing brown paper circles that once held truffles

Look what shiny stickers & a silver pen can make!

Plain card stock + decorative puncher = TADA!

If you have some time, please make a Valentine card

{enlist the whole family, too!} and send these

to ETSY by February 9, 2011.

It will make you feel good, I promise!

Have a crafty weekend!