09 July 2010

A Beach Wedding


A wedding on the beach is a dreamy affair.
Whether you are the bride, a member of the bridal party
or one of the lucky guests, a breezy outfit and
a pair of comfy footwear is sure to be on your list.

Flipflops, anyone?

Dress them up for the occasion with sparkly ribbons.

Or a pair of brooches.

Lace to match your dress,
spun around the strap.

Or lovely little pearls!

Here's a tip for all you ladies planning a bridal shower: make decorating your own flipflops a group activity! Have a bunch of brand new flipflops (determine the guests' sizes before buying inexpensive ones at Old Navy or on-line). Have a table filled with lace, ribbons, beads & baubles, scissors, needle & thread, a glue gun & fishing string ready for an afternoon of jazzing up your slippers! Present a special pair to the bride-to-be with everyone's wishes & signatures. Oh what fun you'll have!

Have a groovy weekend everyone!

08 July 2010

From Head to Toe


I hope ya' all are staying cool in this hot, hot, hot weather!

I've always been attracted to red shoes
but I've never been brave enough to wear them.

So I decided to try with these red slippers:

I've been wearing them for the past couple of
summers and they have brightened my day,
more so when I'm wearing a wild color of nail polish.
But I though I'd dress this pair up a bit...

With a colorful set of beads!

These are really hair beads I got when
I had my hair braided on a vacation
in the Dominican Republic.

The braids are long gone but I kept the
beads as a souvenir.

And I think these red flipflops
are glad that I did!

07 July 2010

Bead It Up


It's scorching hot where I live & this heat will
continue for the rest of the week.

The heat is my excuse to put on some flipflops.

This pair might be screaming "too casual".
But if we add a few beads {attached using
fishing string}...

Tada! We've elevated the everyday to
extra-special!

And it's something uniquely yours!

06 July 2010

A Sparkle in Your Step


We're jazzing up some flipflops this week.

If you know where to shop, you'll be able
to get inexpensive flipflops like this one:

I got these at Old Navy.
They're cute as is but a little
personalization won't hurt, right?

I got this sequin ribbon from my favorite notions store,
2 yards for $1.00. I think that's a pretty good deal.

I attached it to the rubber strap using hot glue.
It's been stable so far. You can also try crazy glue
or wind invisible thread/fishing twine around it
if hot glue doesn't work.

TADA! a small touch that will add
a sparkle to your step!

See you tomorrow!

05 July 2010

Flippin' for Flipflops


Happy Monday!
I hope you guys here in the U.S. had a nice
Fourth of July weekend.

Summer is really in full swing & my flipflops
have been parading the streets.

There are days, though, that I think
they are too plain, too blah.

Add some tulle & a pair of gold buttons {even if they don't match}
and TADA! -- fancy feet!

Sew them on tightly to the rubber strap
to keep them from falling off.

These flipflops will be the envy
of the other flipflops on the pavement.

Have a great day!


02 July 2010

The Bubble Lady


Right around this time, in 2007, I was in Chicago. It was the perfect summer day and I was at the Lincoln Park farmer's market. I was sitting on a bench, enjoying a strawberry crepe and right across me was this lady. I call her "The Bubble Lady".

She had a little bubble machine, which I refer to
as her magic wand. Bubbles, bubbles,
bubbles everywhere!

I too, wanted to have lots of bubbles.

So when I'm down to the last drops
of dish soap...

Or detergent, shampoo & body wash...

I add water to the bottle, give it a shake
and pour the liquid into a container.

I put the bottles in the recycle bin
and this is what I do with the collected water:

I agitate it to make it really, really sudsy.

TADA! Instant bubble liquid!

I can easily conjure up some bubbles to turn
my day from blah to TADA!

Or pretend to be "The Bubble Lady"
and make toddlers happy!

I love how excited they are while chasing the bubbles,
making them pop.

Here's another bubble recipe from this book:

You'll need:

3 cups water
1 cup liquid soap (baby shampoo or baby bath)
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix all ingredients together & use different
materials to form bubbles like coat hangers,
fly swatters and strawberry baskets.


I found the book at the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
(New York City) and I'm definitely going back to
see what new craft book I'll find.

Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend
and find some time to blow bubbles!


01 July 2010

Make Your Own Soap


This book has so many ideas too keep kids and,
in my case, adults busy on the craft table.

I got it from this awesome bookstore:

The Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in New York City.
The amount I paid for the book will help people affected by AIDS
and the book has given me so many ways to turn boxes, crayons
and everyday kitchen staples from blah to TADA!

A win-win situation for everyone, even Mama Earth!

Today, we're making soap from left-over slivers.

Blah: slivers of soap or never-used bars
taken from a hotel stay.

Turn these into soap flakes using a grater or peeler.
{Have one solely for crafting purposes, not for food.}
You'll need 2 cups of soap flakes.

Put the soap flakes in a bowl
{I used a clean plastic take-out container},
then add 1/4 cup water.

Mix these together & squeeze them
between your fingers 'til well mixed & stiff.
{You may add a few drops of perfume,
essential oil or food color if you like.}

Roll the soap into balls or use a mold like
this plastic cookie container {packed very well}.

Let the soap air-dry for at least one week, then unmold,
making sure the soap doesn't crack in the middle.
If this happens, the soap needs more time to dry.

TADA! New bars of soap!

Use this as hand soap
{put one on a pretty dish}
for the kitchen or bath.

Have a great day!