Food to Go

All this week, I'm recycling different kinds of boxes.

I like to order in every now and then.

I have a habit of keeping the

plastic food containers;

there's even a designated shelf

in my pantry for these.

Sometimes, I feel they're a blah because the shapes

and sizes vary, they don't stack very well.

But I still keep most of them anyway.

When you have a party, they're

very handy to store left-overs.

You can keep some in the fridge,

some in the freezer or send some

to your guests so they don't

have to cook the next day.

You can also give one to your doorman

or someone who helps you out

everyday.

Just add a fork {also collected from

too much take-out}, a napkin

and why not add a drink, too?

TADA!

Won't this idea be TADA!

for the coming holidays like

Thanksgiving & Christmas?

Berry Nice

Did you have a fun weekend my dears?

The weather is cooler here in the East Coast

but the leaves haven't turned into

warm autumn colors yet.

It seems that, like me, they are

still hanging on to summer.

And one of the things I'll miss

about summer are berries.

I think berries are the jewels of summer.

These cartons of fruit got me

so excited to craft.

I'll turn this blah fruit box & blah paper bag

into a TADA! package for a gift.

I painted some strawberries on

one side of the paper bag.

Once the painted design was dry, I tucked

in a gift inside the paper bag.

Then I put the bag in

the fruit box.

Doesn't it look like a carton of strawberries?

Attach a tag with a rubber band or string

{like some farm stands do} and

finish with a beautiful note.

TADA!

Cocktail Ring Lover

Yipee! Yay! It's Friday!

Thank you for checking out my posts.

This week, it was all about catalogs

and how each page carries so

much inspiration.

I found another idea from this catalog.

Can you see it? It's a ring holder.

Yes, it's that white twig-like

object in the center.

Here's a better view.

Well, we can make our own

blah to TADA! version, don't

you think?

blah: a twig & a rock found in the park

Clean with water & allow to dry.

Trim the twig to your desired height.

Then put together with lots of hot glue.

You can paint it all over or

keep it all natural.

TADA! An easy way to

store {and display} your

cocktail ring collection.

Have a terrific weekend everyone!

NYC Souvenir

You've heard it before: you can find

inspiration everywhere.

This week, I'm looking for

inspiration in catalogs that

I get free in the mail.

This shop carries a lot of young and

modern pieces for the home.

They have some cool artwork

like this one:

It's a typical New York scene.

The artist captures the city's energy,

vitality and fast pace.

I'm taking this cue for my

own humble piece of art.

blah: black & white photos I took of New York

City {they've been sitting in a box for ages}

blah: wood backing salvaged from an old picture frame

{the glass broke}

I picked a photo from the pile: the "Imagine"

mosaic, taken in Central Park. It's a tribute

to John Lennon.

It's my favorite because the word

gives you permission to escape to

your version of an ideal world.

The photo and printed paper

{to cover the gaps}

were attached to the wood

with acid-free/photo safe glue.

It's very New York but more subdued

compared to the art it was

inspired by.

Artwork that's handmade.

Artwork that inspires.

TADA!

Decoration Nation

I receive a lot of mailers and catalogs.

I like to peruse them before

banishing them to the recycling bin.

Here's one from a company that sells

its products in storefronts & on-line.

They have a lot of tech & travel stuff so I was quite

surprised that they sell decorations like these.

It's this photo that led me to this

blah to TADA! transformation:

blah: a plastic bag

Make flowers out of the bag

{You'll find the instructions here}.

Attach the flowers to a cardboard circle

with a glue gun.

TADA! A homemade wreath!

Replace the ribbon depending on the season -- silver for

a wedding, pastel for springtime, gingham for summer

and red {green or gold} for the holidays.

Gorgeous Gift Basket

What is your attitude towards

product catalogs that you

receive in the mail?

Are they blah junk mail or

are they TADA! in that you

look through them and base

your purchases on them?

I think they're TADA! because

they tell you what's new and

also provide crafty ideas.

The Harry and David catalog came in

the mail recently.

You can order gift baskets for any occasion

and they'll deliver it for you.

Don't you love these festive boxes with sweet treats?

Or this basket of baked goodies?

Maybe even a selection of international delights?

These photos got me excited to

make my own gift hamper.

blah: an old basket {you can also use a pretty box,

crate, tote bag or small suitcase}

Fill it with your favorite foodie discoveries

like fruit, cookies, jam, pate' or chocolates.

For something even more TADA!,

why not things you made in your

own kitchen?

This serves as a generous gift for

a birthday, house warming or

for the holidays.

Combing Through Catalogs

I hope you had a stress-free weekend

my dear friends!

Do you get mailers & catalogs in

your mailbox? Here in the U.S.,

we receive quite a few peddling

anything from clothes, shoes,

accessories, toys & furniture.

I like to leaf through them

because many of them are very

well produced...you know what I

mean -- there's a concept, styling

and a story unfolding as you flip

each page.

The J. Crew catalog is one of those

ones I look forward to.

The pages are filled with ideas

on how to put clothes together

in a unique way.

It's also a good source

of blah to TADA! inspiration.

Take a look at these bangles

by Lulu Frost for J.Crew.

Won't they be the perfect

finishing touch to a cute outfit?

Well, let's try making something similar.

blah: plain plastic bangles

Add a few embellishments by attaching

with hot glue. TADA!

Certainly not as luxe as Lulu Frost's...

...but a cheap & cheerful transformation

nonetheless!