Journey to the Far East

There is a wonderland of Christmas Trees at the top floor of Macy's. Lots and lots of trees that will soften the heart of Mr. Scrooge:

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The trees and the ornaments here are for sale. Some folks pick a few to add to their tree and some come here for ideas. That's the beauty of a Christmas Tree -- you can decorate it any way you want. 

Here is a theme that I haven't seen before. It's Asian-inspired:

A mighty dragon

A happy Buddha

A geisha

A cute little Japanese girl

A lantern

A pair of pandas

A Chinese take-away container

A paper crane/Origami

Another kind of lantern

Sushi

A collection of fans

A fortune cookie

A pagoda

Whether these remind you of a place in Asia that you've been to or hope the visit in the New Year, I think they are all TADA!

A New York State of Mind

This week, we're taking our time at Macy's in Herald Square. While it is the season to be shopping, I'm just here to enjoy the spectacle of Christmas trees. 

And because we're in New York City, a big tree worthy of the Big Apple with landmark ornaments that double as a souvenir:

Wasn't that TADA!? More trees and ornaments tomorrow!

Christmas Time in the City

Hello Everyone! I hope your weekend was restful. Some snow arrived last night and that only added to my anticipation of Christmas.

While the holidays bring a lot of stress and a never ending checklist, I allow myself to spend a few hours around New York City to marvel at the holiday lights. 

My first stop: Macy's on 34th Street.

On this particular evening, I was able to catch an outdoor movie featuring "The Miracle on 34th Street".

As with the past years, the holiday theme of Macy's is "Believe".

"Believe" appears in many parts of the store.

This meter moves from "Imagine" to "Believe"...

...Depending on the letters left for Santa Claus.

Let's walk around the store, shall we?

We'll make it to the top floor on this historic wooden escalator.

Welcome to the Holiday Lane! I love to find inspiration here.

There are Santas in every shape and color.

As well as an Elf on the Shelf.

These are "Kissing Crystals", a modern take on the mistletoe.

Of course there are lots of ornaments...

...And festive trees! If you can stop by tomorrow, I'll show you some of my favorite ones.

All Wrapped Up

Happy Friday folks!

Yesterday, I showed off this paper bag from Whole Foods. I found it so cute, I used it to craft. I cut up one side to make gift tags. And the other side, I saved to use as gift wrap:

Let's all say it together: blah to TADA!

Have a delightful weekend!

Bag to Tag

Hello! This season can be fast-paced and stressful so I hope you'll find a little pocket of "me" time.

"Me" time for me is crafting. This is what I'm crafting with today:

Have you seen the Whole Foods paper bags? It's decorated with snowflakes!

In the past, I've used this kind of paper bag to make a lot of holiday-related things. Let's keep with tradition, shall we? 

In a most drastic move, I cut up the paper bag to make these gift tags:

I cut around the snowflakes, glued these onto cardboard to make them sturdier and will allow me write a note at the back. I made a hole with a craft punch and tied on some twine. Then I added embellishments using craft stamps and an ink pad. 

Glitter glue outlining the snowflake for a sparkly finish.

A small puddle of glue and a sprinkling of glitter.

Maybe even some calligraphy and festive words.

Paper bag to gift tags...TADA!

More Gift Tags

Hey, hey, Happy Wednesday!

Yesterday, I told you about my new toy, a gift tag stamp kit.

I made more gift tags, this time switching out the red ink pad to black. But here's a little secret:

If you flip the gift tags, you'll see that they are made of old boxes! Blah to TADA!, baby! A little recycling, even during the holidays, hurts no one, right?

Here's a holiday tip: once presents are wrapped, segregate these into paper bags {left over from shopping}. Assign a paper bag to a family or group of friends you're scheduled to see this season. To avoid confusion, add a label to each bag secured with double-sided tape. This is how I made good use of my recycled cardboard tags! 

Leave the bags under your tree or line them up in your foyer. Just before your party, pick-up the bag you need and you're ready to go. No scrambling involved. TADA!

Hand-stamped Gift Tags

Today, a craft that will appear on the presents I'm giving away this holiday. But first, a little bit of show and tell:

I got myself this stamp activity kit. I think it's a good investment because I can use it all year round, for anyone I know, and for every occasion possible.

Inside, there's an ink pad, a wood-mounted rubber stamp, a few blank tags, and a pencil.

What I love about it is I can use it to turn cardboard that's bound for the trash from blah to TADA!

Just ink, stamp and cut.

And I even made use of ribbon remnants to dress up my gift tags. TADA!