31 October 2016

Last Minute Halloween Costumes

Happy Halloween you guys! If you're in a panic for a Halloween costume, help is here.

Below are a few ideas using clothes and accessories you already have.

cowgirl halloween costume ideas - Google Search:
via Pinterest
"The Cowgirl"

easy snow white costume snow white halloween costume snow white diy halloween costume make your own halloween costume easy halloween costume easy disney princess halloween costume easy snow white costume halloween diy costume halloween costume diy
via Color Me Courtney
"Snow White"

"The Hippie"

via Merrick's Art
"Mary Poppins"

Happy crafting and have a wonderful Halloween!

24 October 2016

Halloween Decorations

I'll be honest, I'm not one to decorate my apartment for Halloween. But I will wear a witch's hat when giving out candy! That's how I roll.

But after seeing these simple ways to add a spooky vibe, Halloween decorating may just be on my agenda:

via Martha Stewart

A door full of creepy crawlies is easy to assemble with plastic spiders from the dollar store.

Ribbon Snakes
via Martha Stewart
This scary snake is made out of ribbon! It's a good way to turn ribbon scraps from blah to TADA!

via Better Homes and Gardens
Make a spider's web out of black electrical tape. Do this on a door, window, or wall.

Enjoy your Halloween preparations!

17 October 2016

Illustrated Lists

Hi there! How was your weekend?

Last week, I baked from the book The Little Paris Kitchen.

It's by British cook and food writer Rachel Khoo.

What an honor to have met her during a book signing event! 

Apart from the recipes and photos, I was drawn to the illustrations inside:




Rachel drew these herself (she studied art in college and she takes a notebook everywhere she goes). Such a nice way to add an author's personal stamp to a book.

Inspired by these drawings, I made a few illustrations myself: 


 My regular lists have now been transformed from blah to TADA!


10 October 2016

Mondays are for Madeleines

Let's do some baking today, shall we?

These little sweet snacking cakes are called Madeleines and it's a staple in many patisseries.

The batter is baked in a special pan, the shell shape being unique to the Madeleine.

What makes this version special is that it has sweet raspberries and tart lemon curd.

The recipe is from this book by Rachel Khoo

I loved watching her show, also called The Little Paris Kitchen on the Cooking Channel. It was filmed in her tiny Paris apartment where she made French cooking approachable. It was also like a travel show where viewers got to see her favorite places in the City of Lights. 

I got to meet her three years ago during one of her book tours in New York City. She did a cooking demo and book signing. She was a delight! 

Rachel made Cafe' Gourmand. It's a trio of desserts: Orange Mousse, Black Currant Trifle, and a Strawberry Tartlet.

I wish I could share these Madeleines with you. 

I hope your week will be filled with yummy treats!

03 October 2016

Metallic Print Paper

Hi there and thank you for hanging out with me today.

Remember this gift wrap?

It was printed using paint and bottle covers. I decided, we should print some more. Are you with me?

I have some black tissue paper rescued from a shipping order. Instead of throwing it away, I'll turn it from blah to TADA!

I think metallic paint would go well on black paper.

I made different sized circles using a variety of bottle covers.

Just dip the bottle cover in the paint and press onto the paper.

And this is what it looks like. TADA!

But why stop there, when you can make a matching card?

I have a lot of relatives and friends celebrating milestone birthdays this year: a cousin turning 40, a friend is now 50, an aunt and uncle both marked 80, and and uncle celebrated 90. 

Birthdays, they truly are gifts. Please don't think otherwise.


Trim around the "age" and attach to cardstock.

Use the handprinted paper to wrap a gift like a well-deserved bottle of Champagne.

And now, we're ready to celebrate!

26 September 2016

A Cascade of Paper Flowers

A little start of the week eye candy:

I spotted this inside Anthropologie where one can always find inspiration.

It's a trellis of flowers. Even if they're not real, they look lifelike.

They're made of cupcake liners and the edges are dyed with either watercolor or diluted food color. TADA!

19 September 2016

Luscious Lemon Curd

Hello there! I don't know about you but citrus fruits make me happy.

The colors evoke sunshine and depending on the fruit, so does the taste. 

If life gives you lemons, I say make lemon curd

Top it on yogurt or baked goods like scones and pound cake. Put it in a pie. Make it part of your frosting. It's a little bit sweet, a little bit tangy. TADA!