Legos in London

When I visited London over the summer, I was drawn into this toy store:

 Hamleys along Regent Street

I wasn't looking for anything in particular. On the top floor, I stumbled on this:

A Lego version of the Queen! 

I secretly did a curtsy in her presence. 

And look! A scene from last year's Royal Wedding. These sculptures really look like Prince Charles, Duchess Kate, Prince William and Prince Harry.   

The crown jewels

Call me, maybe?

A British Guard

The red phone booths that you'll still see all

over the city.

I may not have seen the Royals while I was in London, but this was good enough. Have a lovely day!

Landmarks in Lego

When I was little, I enjoyed playing with Lego. It's a toy that my brother and I shared. I'd make girly stuff like a little village and he would make cars, helicopters and all those things little boys are fond of. When our youngest brother came along, he inherited all the Lego we eventually outgrew. That was a lot of Lego!

I'm reuniting with one of my favorite toys. I can't help it. I've been seeing them everywhere.  

Remember the lions that stand guard at 

the New York Public Library? 

They're immortalized in Lego!

They're the handiwork of Nathan Sawaya, made to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the lion sculptures. The Lego versions are on display at the library's lobby.

They are 5 feet 2 1/2 inches long, half the size of the original sculptures. Aren't these impressive? From blah gray bricks, they're now TADA! works of art.

And just look at what Lego came out with:

I know adults would love assembling these as much as the kids! They make great souvenirs from a recent trip, too.

The Land of Lego

I hope you had a nice weekend my dears. This week, it's all about one of my favorite childhood toys: LEGO!

via controlling craziness

I think Lego is such a wonderful toy for older children. Plain, blah bricks become TADA! with a little bit of imagination. Growing up, I loved building a lot of Lego houses using the white windows with green shutters,  a white door, and I even landscaped with pine trees and flowers. My houses were usually bungalows, sometimes with a swimming pool, but never one of this kind:

These look like the brownstones you would see in Manhattan. My 7-year old self would never have dreamed of this on my own. This is just one of the masterpieces you'd find at the Lego Store in Rockefeller Center, New York:

Check out this sign.

 It's made entirely of little Lego people!

They are painted in single colors and 

attached to a large Lego mat. 

I wonder what the population of this sign is?

Here's a witty take on an iconic statue... 

...Atlas on 5th Avenue {Rockefeller Center}.

Lego's version of the "Wisdom" panel on 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Rockefeller Center is always bustling and this is the 

Lego version, ice skating rink included! 

I love this Volkswagen Campervan, especially the doors

and checkerboard tiles inside!  

For you Star Wars fanatics -- the mighty Death Star. 

 Chewbacca and a few Stormtroopers 

 Ah, Darth Vader.

For Harry Potter fans, there's a whole Lego collection for you! 

Albus Dumbledore 

 Harry Potter

Lord Voldemort

My, my, Lego is such a classic toy spanning generations...I think that's TADA!

Gingerbread Houses

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving celebration. The Christmas season is upon us and many of you may be crossing out your gift lists this super shopping weekend, or staying home to begin decorating.

If you fancy something crafty with the kids, here's an idea:

Make your own gingerbread houses! Instead of the cookie and candy kind, make some that will last for years to come. And throw in some recycling by using blah cardboard like empty cereal or tissue boxes. Paint them, glue them together, embellish with stickers and paper cutouts, then shower with glitter.

Here are a few more:

 Make one.

 Or two.

Or an entire village. 

Put these on the table in the foyer or atop a mantle.

Have each child make her/his own. 

Or make one for your tree or one
to wrap presents.

Have an exciting weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving

We're celebrating Thanksgiving in the US today. 

I want to wish you all a "Happy Thanksgiving" and take a moment for some of the things I am very grateful for:

• For good health and the ability to wake up to a brand new day, everyday.
• For safety and warmth during Hurricane Sandy -- we lost power for one week, and even if we had the inconvenience of no hot water for showering or a heater for cold evenings, or the frills of life like cable and internet, I'm blessed to have a home to go back to.
• For the kindness of strangers, especially those who continue to volunteer to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
• For the opportunity to share ideas and small steps to help the environment through this blog.
• For all the visitors and regular readers of my blog who inspire me to turn blah to TADA! 

A Home for Pins & Needles

Thank you for visiting me today! Here's another photo for a potential blah to TADA! craft project:

I found these rainbow pin cushions at Grey's Fabric and Notions. They make fun wall/door decorations or maybe a tree ornament, too, if you're not a sewing enthusiast.

This is a good way to turn scrap fabrics or old t-shirts that are blah into something TADA! Find a similar tutorial here.

Postal Memories

One photo is all it takes for a light bulb moment to happen. That's why I like to hang out on Pinterest and Instagram -- they're a treasure-trove of visual ideas!

Today's photo of the day is something I found at Boston's SoWA Vintage Market:  

It's a memory box with a postal theme. The elements: the door of an apartment mailbox, a skeleton key to open the mailbox, a postal stamp, and an airmail envelope with the apartment's address. 

I love it for sentimental reasons -- it celebrates your first home as a single adult, a couple that moved in together or got married. It's an artsy reminder of independence and happy memories made within four walls. 

Now I don't suggest that you tear down your mailbox for this blah to TADA! project. Instead, you can use a photo or watercolor painting of your building or house. Another option is to recreate the numbers of your address with vintage brass numerals. Also, find a map of your town and include this your memory box.