Holiday Kitchen Gifts

Nothing shows how much you care like giving a gift you made yourself. Check out these beautiful kitchen gifts from Whole Foods! You can probably wrap up your holiday shopping without leaving the house. Now to decide what to make for everyone....



maybe Citrus Salts...


or Marinated Olives....



or Spicy Wine Mustard, that would be delish on left over ham sandwiches....


or Dried Fruit and Herb Tea....


oh, definitely Mulling Spice Satchets! Have fun in the kitchen!

Pretty Jewelry

Just came across this jewelry site, 2 sisters on separate coasts that create the simplest and most beautiful jewelry I have seen in a long time. Their pieces are so creative and yet affordable. Pick something out for your momma today so it arrives in time for Mother's Day next month. Happy browsing! www.whitleydesigns.com

Dog Ball Launcher

While traveling recently in Colorado (where everyone has a dog!), I came across a really cool item. It is a dog ball launcher.

Throw farther, faster, and never bend down to pick up a slimy ball again with the Chuckit! Dog toy.
Durable plastic wand firmly grasps a tennis ball then releases it as you swing.
With a little practice, you can consistently throw the ball 100 to 140 feet.

What a perfect gift for a pet lover!

Find one here:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Chuckit-Launcher-Ball-Toss-Dog-Toy-Assorted-Colors-Dogs/3635465?sourceid=1500000000000003260550&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=3635465

Twigs and Honey

I just had to share this new website I stumbled across this week.

Check out http://www.twigsandhoney.com/

I can't get enough feathers, flowers, headbands, basically all things girly and vintage, so of course I adore this site. I wore a flower and feathers clip similar to these on my wedding day and wore a sparkly flower headband just last weekend, seriously.

Isn't this flowered belt pretty? Looks so springy.

Ohhh, or how about this as a statement necklace!?! Completely over the top, yet pretty. Lovin' it, ladies.

3-Money Wreath

Tired of giving gift cards, but need a similar gift? Make a money wreath! My crafty husband created this one from a styrofoam wreath and U shaped pins. Just lightly fold $1 bills into bow tie shapes and stick into the wreath with the pins. We added floral picks to give it a festive holiday look. This wreath used $50, but you could easily do it with around $40 instead.

6-Wine Wrappings

We are headed over to a friend's house for dinner tonight and since those gift bags for giving wine are so boring, I decided to come up with some more creative options.

This first one is just a square of left over fabric cinched with a ribbon. Simple and festive!

This second one is a sleeve of wrapping paper that I folded the top edge under about 3 inches. I cut slits into the folded edge to create a frilly collar. Add a sparkly ribbon and this gift is good to go!

Photo bags

With the holidays approaching fast and lots of fall birthdays, I wanted to share a great website with lots of wonderful gift ideas. www.bagettes.com has all sorts of cute bags that can be personalized with a favorite photo. I guarantee your gift recipient will be impressed! Everyone loves to get custom created gifts.
It is very easy to upload your photos and in about 3 weeks you will receive your bag!
Get to shopping now-it is so hard to choose!
Key/coin clutch is great for the movies, going out or just running errands.
Photo purses are perfect for a first time mom or grandmother.


How cute is this cosmetic bag as a bridesmaid gift? Love the personlized ribbon zipper pull.

Herbaria Soap

As you may know, we live in a wonderful little neighborhood a few minutes from downtown St. Louis, called The Hill. The Hill is the "little Italy" area of St. Louis and is known for is delicious restaurants and Italian food markets. Recently, a great new soap shop opened its first retail location, in the heart of The Hill. herbaria sells all natural soaps, using pure plant essentials and no synthetic fragrances, colorants or perservatives.
I am loving the Citrus Oatmeal scent and can't wait to go back and purchase another bar! Check out the store or visit online at http://www.herbariasoap.com/

MIZZOU RAH!

Hey all you Tiger fans! Exciting news from Victoria's Secret PINK ....Mizzou apparel items have been added to their collegiate collection this year. Check out the cute tee and tank. I am ready for some cooler fall weather and now we have the perfect excuse to start back to school shopping a little earlier this year. Check out all styles offered http://www2.victoriassecret.com/collection/?cgname=OSPNKCLIMIZ&cgnbr=OSPNKCLIMIZ&rfnbr=5098

Bump It

So, yesterday was a fantastic day for me...the Bump It arrived at Walgreen's!!! Yes, you have all seen it on TV and now it is finally available at your local pharmacy. And it is just as good as it looks on TV!! Seriously, this thing is awesome. I rocked it all day at work today and received mucho compliments! Thanks to all my work ladies for supporting my big hair love. It is super easy to put in and stays put better than you would think. I did adjust at lunchtime, but mostly out of boredom. Make sure to rat your hair up good before putting it in and then use quite a bit of hairspray to secure. The instructions and photos included are easy to follow. Have a great big hair weekend everyone!

Tom's Shoes

My much hipper and younger brother visited this weekend and shared a cool website with me. Visit tomsshoes.com The shoes are great and the cause is even better. TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: For every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what they're all about. If you have a stylin' dad and haven't found the perfect Father's Day gift for him yet, Tom's may be just what you were looking for. I am personally obsessed with the wrap boots for fall. Now I have all summer to save up and more importantly to decide what color I will get!

Express Yourself

I found a great website today that offers all kinds of customizable stamps and stationery items. Check out www.expressionery.com
Stampable tags-perfect for tagging a bottle of wine as a housewarming gift or a bottle of your custom flavored olive oil.
Book plate labels-Never again will a book you loaned out not be returned to you!

Custom Stampers-Declare yourself a baking diva with a custom kitchen stamp and gift tag.


I can't wait to place an order....and in honor of Memorial Day they are offering 40% off sitewide. Happy shopping everyone!

Father's Day Gift Ideas

A couple of adorable Father's Day gift ideas from www.planetjill.com Lots of good stuff, all incorporating your favorite snapshots into personalized items.
Cufflinks and paperweight shown here. Show Dad who loves him most!

Memorial Day Fun

Just came across a couple fun items that would be great for the official start of summer next weekend!

First, what Memorial Day party is complete with out Ice Shot Glass Molds from Bed Bath & Beyond. You'll be pouring the coolest shots when you create ice shot glasses with this mold set. Simply fill the mold with water--or your favorite beverage if you want to add a little flavor to the mix--and pop them in the freezer until they solidify into glasses. Serving tray included. Includes 12 molds. Only $9.99. Start making them next week and re-freezing so you will have enough stockpiled in time for your BBQ.

For those of you lucky enough to be spending Memorial Day around some sort of water, pick up the Ultimate Chaise Lounge Cover, also from BB&B for $29.99. This chaise lounge cover attaches to lounge chair easily with ties, and the six pockets in total on both sides keep your things in easy reach. There's even a MP3 pocket and head phone loops. The hidden zipper pocket at the bottom can be turned inside out and used as a foot protector. Cover transforms easily into a convenient tote bag. This would also be fantastic to take along to one of those resorts with lots of lounge chairs around the pool. You would never have to worry about losing your chair again after a few too many shots....

Herbalicious

Just skimming through one of my fav websites today www.spoonsisters.com and came across these rustic herb markers. They are my new must have for our little container herb garden. These would make a great gift for your garden loving mother or mother-in-law for Mother's Day too. Sold as a set of nine stakes - one of each herb for $22.50. Would also be adorable placed in the windowsil herb garden featured below.

Spring Place Settings

I love super simple place settings that also make your guests feel special. Who doesn't love a dinner party or luncheon where you have a gift waiting for you at the table?! In this first idea a little chocolate carrot is used to attach a placecard around a cloth napkin. You could use raffia or ribbon, whatever you have on hand will work. I picked these yummy carrots up at World Market. The second idea, features a miniature flowerpot with the attendees' name written in chalk. Fill the pot with a dyed egg and some jellybeans for an Easter twist. I also think this would make a great Mother's day favor filled with a plant that Mom can take home and enjoy throughout the summer.

Hostess Gift

If you are not cooking the Easter ham this year, surprise your hostess with a cute set of new dishcloths from www.distinctive-decor.com They come packaged in an adorable take out container and are available in a variety of colors to match any kitchen decor. At $5.99, this savvy gift is cheaper than a bottle of wine!

A Perfect 10

Convenient for us ladies, with warmer (sandal!) weather finally here, Sally Hansen has introduced a fabulous new product called the Nail Art Pen. It is like a paint pen for your nails. Talk about the perfect craft/beauty project in one! I am so excited to show off my first creation..... a vampy plum shade of polish (courtesy of Sephora by OPI Meet for Drinks) with glimmery silver done in french mani style. I can't wait to create some other bright color combinations on my toes this spring! With 8 colors available, including black, white, both light and dark pink, blue, silver, gold and red the possibilities are endless. I found my nail art pen on sale at Walgreen's for only $4 too, what a beautiful bargain. This would make a great Easter basket stuffer for the little chickas in your life too!

Spring....where are you?

So, with today being the first day of spring and the weather here not spring-like at all, I can't think of anything better to do than to curl up with a good book, or some exciting March Madness games, and a super large mug of hot cocoa! And it just happens I came across possibly the world's most perfect mug/bowl today from www.delight.com Designed to rest in the palm of your hand, the Buddha Bowl, is great for lattes, ice cream, soups or even cereal. Yum!
I will be enjoying my hot cocoa with some homemade peppermint marshmellows as well!
So easy to make...take some leftover candy canes or peppermint candies and crush up into little bits (a meat tenderizer works great for this.) Dip large marshmellows into a mixture of powdered sugar and water, just enough to make a glaze, and then into the crushed candy. Let the glaze harden on a sheet of wax paper and store in a zip tight bag. Enjoy!

Handbag SALE!

HANDBAG SALE: THE ABOVE CIRCLE PURSE STYLES ARE ON SALE FOR $30!

BRONZE/PEWTER
BLACK/SILVER
SILVER
BLACK/GOLD TIGER STRIPE
COFFEE

Email me today to place your order!
thegiftedlife@hotmail.com