Happy Tape

A little happy something is brightening my life at the moment: Happy Tape.

Have you heard of this stuff? It's Japanese-inspired masking tape and it's sooooo fun. I want every single color.

It won't permanently stick to anything, just like masking tape. You can rip it with your fingers and that resulting rough edge just makes it more fun to me. Who knew tape could be so fun? Fun, fun, fun.

I got the striped set.

I like the preppy little touch these stripes add to photos, lists, wrapped gifts, and I even used it to put an "S" (for a lady named Sonya) on a gift bag when I forgot to get a card. I have also used it in my kids' baby books to stick in photos. I would otherwise use photo corners, but I love the playful style of the tape.

It's the small things.


P.S. Speaking of small things, Mr. Noah is 12 weeks old today!


*Martha

Coffee Table Books for Design Lovers

Christmas Craft Countdown Day 13: Not a Craft, Just Gift Ideas

Interior Designer Jonathan Adler was on The Today Show this morning giving his recommendations for coffee table books to gift the design-lover in your life. I had an immediate lust for every one of these books, so I just had to share his suggestions (see the video here).


Of course, they mentioned his two new books, Happy Chic Accessorizing

and Happy Chic Colors. I heart Jonathan Adler because of those two words alone: accessorizing and colors. He does both very interestingly.

I've thumbed through The Selby is in Your Place at several book store visits and was just plain puzzled. Click on the link for a description that explains the weird-awesomeness.

American Fashion Designers at Home shows you just that.

The Apartment Therapy blog has been influential in changing the way I think about what I always assume to be our "temporary living standards." I'm beginning to think that our family may reside in small-ish spaces forever, so their Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces should become part of my collection.

*Martha

Decorate Your Gifts

Christmas Craft Countdown Day 12: Decorate Your Gifts

For some of my tags this year, I made variations of red circles in a Power Point document, printed them on cardstock and cut them out to use for gift tags. That's just one of many ideas. Here are some tags and gift decorating ideas you can get online.

Download and print these for a dollar from Marta Writes

I've used these tags for a couple years. They are a free download from Inside a Black Apple. (And if you are looking for a unique gift for a little girl, check out her new paper dolls book. It looks delightful; I want one for myself!)

Easy to make  mitten tags

Print these speech bubble adhesive tags

 Hello cinch! Take your fun paper scraps, scissors and your hole punch and you've got these tags.

I really like these simple Merry Christmas tags.

*Martha