Welcome Home Gift Basket with Hallmark Signature Cards

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias #HallmarkHolidayMoments

I love the holidays. It's my favorite time of year because it’s the time to spread cheer to those we love and appreciate! I have always loved Hallmark Cards and they have been a part of every holiday since I was born. My grandmother would send Hallmark Cards to me for every single holiday (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Easter, and more!), and I have a box of cards and photos that are a memento to my grandma, Pat.

This year's collection of Hallmark Greeting Cards at Walmart is extremely special to me, and I am so happy to be able to think of her as I look back through the cards she sent me. This gets me thinking about how important of a role greeting cards play in our lives. They help us spread a smile, words of kindness, words of consideration, and sometimes words of sympathy. It seems like there is really a card for every occasion now.

I also love how these greeting cards can be almost a gift in themselves, or accompany an amazing gift and put that final special touch on something like a Welcome Home Gift Basket. Above, I absolutely adore the woodland scene that is set! This gift basket I have created would be the perfect welcome home gift for family and friends who are visiting you during the holidays. I actually used the Hallmark Signature Cards as my color inspiration, which helped me tie a few really beautiful items together into one awesome gift. I found nearly everything at Walmart, including a Hallmark Signature Card, a pair of slippers, a fuzzy blanket, a winter candle, gloves, and more!

Perhaps you could create a set of his and hers gift baskets – Hallmark had TONS of cards for men, too, which I just loved. I would probably use colors like reds and blacks, plaids, and a rustic wooden basket for the container. Oh the possibilities!!!

Perhaps a plate of cookies would be inviting to someone who is visiting! I applied white frosting and some gingerbread decorations to traditional sugar cookies.

Hallmark Greeting Cards are incredibly enchanting and sophisticated, and they have such intricate designs. I could tell the designers and artists paid so much attention to every last detail. When I say little detail, I mean itty bitty, teeny tiny little details!

Speaking of gingerbread, this 3D Pop Up Card actually folds up into a little gingerbread house and is also an ornament! It’s really cute and folds up super easily. No glue was required at all!

DEAL ALERT!!!

I saw in-aisle coupons in the store, for buy 2 Hallmark cards, get one free. The other offer is a cute plush Holiday bear for only $3.97 when you purchase 3 Hallmark Cards priced at $1.97 or higher (offers available through 12/25/18 while supplies last). 

There’s also an Ibotta offer:  Earn $1 off a card purchase of $2.97 or more (offer available through 12/25/18 while supplies last)!

Hallmark has a couple of beautiful display at Walmart right now. It’s enchanting browsing all of their beautiful cards in the Holiday aisle, or the greeting card aisle... In this post, I featured two of the cards from Hallmark Signature Cards, and I also found that I loved a lot of the Hallmark Paper Wonder Cards as well. I was drawn more towards their whimsical greeting cards, the ones that made me want to be a kid again, and that had a lot of dimension to them. And, I thought it was fun to add a candle to the gift basket as well. It went so well with all of my colors.

I just love the enchanted woodland scene on this card, and my mom is going to LOVE it! I was so impressed by all of those little details that the layers of paper and glitter make. I actually used this card for some holiday decor inspiration around my home too! 

Hallmark’s latest designs are incredibly inspiring and will make the holidays and other occasions even more special. They are sure to help you continue to share thoughtful and meaningful moments and memories that will last a very long time.

Father's Day Gift Idea - Edible Treats!

A fun and easy way to show Dad you appreciate him this Father's Day! Simply head to the bulk section of your local Co-Op or grocery store, and find small samples of lots of different treats and package them up with custom labels. I actually made a game out of this gift by sticking the names to the INSIDE of the treat containers, so Dad could guess what treat he was trying. He LOVED this delicious and easy Edible Gift and I am sure anyone you make one for will too. 

You can even find sugar free candies and other more natural treats if you want. I provided a great variety of snacks like macadamia nuts, roasted peanuts, chocolate and yogurt covered raisins, all natural chocolate covered Sun Drops, maple almonds, and more. Whatever your dad's taste is, just cater your selection to that.

I used a paper mache box with a lid from a craft store, which made the presentation more professional looking. I found 8 small plastic lidded containers that fit into the box PERFECTLY! I was even able to add some tissue paper as padding, then shipped this gift to my Dad from IL all the way to Arizona and everything arrived safely, luckily!

What will you be giving Dad this year?!

Bride To Be Gift Box by UnboundBox

I recently had the chance to get to know some of the products that UnboundBox has to offer.

If you are looking for a unique gift idea for a Bride To Be, then here is an idea for you! I have to admit, my favorite item in the gift box is the Hanky Panky Peek-A-Boo Bralette and Bottoms set. 

This Bride To Be Box from UnboundBox is surely going to be something the bride remembers forever! This gift would be so great to give a bride at her bachelorette party!

From the moment the bride opens this gift box, she will instantly see what great quality each and every item is that's provided! Her new spouse will also have fun playing along and helping explore these items a bit better after the wedding, on the honeymoon, and beyond! 

ORDER THE GIFT BOX HERE

When this UnboundBox arrived at my doorstep, this adorably wrapped gift box was inside of a larger box, wrapped very safely. Everything arrived in amazing condition, and I was so excited to see what all was inside. You can choose either black lace or white lace for the bralette + bottoms, so I chose to feature the black lace items. See, you don't even have to gift wrap this present, it's already done for you! The smaller box contains the lace undergarments, and the larger box contains the rest of the gift items in the set. 

UnboundBox pays so much attention to details - everything looks amazing, from the second you begin to open the package! Most brides are going to love this present!

You could get this for the bride by yourself, or have a couple of friends gift this to her together. 

Hanky Panky Steamy Peek-A-Boo Bralette

This peek-a-boo bralette is made of Hanky Panky's signature comfortable stretch lace. The sensuous silky ribbon will make you feel like a present fit to unwrap. 

Believe me, the lace on this bralette is extremely high quality. This bralette is made from the finest materials, closures, ribbons, and finishes. 

Hanky Panky Steamy Side Tie Bottoms

The perfect cheeky bottoms to pair with the Peek-A-Boo Bralette in Black Lace. These comfortable, bikini-cut panties are made of Hanky Panky's signature stretch lace - which is super soft!

Desir Metallique Handcuffs

This beautiful set of mesh handcuffs look like a set of 3 bracelets, but could also be used for fun! 

Feather Tickler

This is also a cute item that would make just about anyone smile. The feathers are super-soft, so just use your imagination!

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A little bit about one of the items in the gift box, the vibe.

Bijoiux Indiscrets Twenty One Diamond Vibrator
Twenty One offers the ultimate in female pleasure. With the perfect size and shape, it is designed to provide precise stimulation, through it's 7 patterns and 3 vibration intensities, Twenty One unveils a new dimension where pleasure is the real luxury. Includes satin pouch, user manual, and USB charger.

The Perfect Watch For Back To School & Beyond

I found my all-time favorite accessory - the Cora watch in Purpleheart and Mother of Pearl, by JORD! I know I have blogged about these beautiful watches before (here and here), but I recently received a new, smaller style and love it SO very much!

The reddish, darker color of the Purpleheart wood is absolutely stunning, and is going to be great for back to school, fall, the end of summer, and beyond. I also love the unexpected sparkle of the jewels in the watch face. The other little nod to extreme attention to detail is the fact that the back of the watch face is made of glass, so you can see the inner workings of the watch! I cannot believe how nice these watches are, they're so well-made.

The Cora Watch - Click Here To Shop

"Savoring something, however small, is why your style will always be revered, and rarely replicated. You'll love how the Purpleheart wood pairs with opaline Mother of Pearl to showcase the luxe nature of natural materials. Crafted to be adored, our Cora was created for you."

Enter to win a $75 gift card - click here to learn more and to apply!

And, just for fun, enter to win $75 towards your very own Wood Watch! That is a GOOD DEAL!!! 

This Cora Watch matches the boho styles so well! Whether you're pairing a cute button up 3/4 sleeve shirt with dark cropped skinnies, or wearing a cute dress, the watch will never look unflattering because its design is so streamlined. This watch is very comfortable, and really makes me smile when I wear it! 

sapphire crystal glass

deployment buckle with push button

swarovski crystal markers

screw-down crown

case width: 37mm

case thickness: 12mm

lug ends: 38mm

band thickness: 18mm - 22mm

band length: 211mm (they send extra links)

These watches make amazing gifts, too! My sister is already eyeing this one :) They are such good quality watches, that whoever is lucky enough to receive one will have it for a very long time. And, like I mentioned before, JORD wood watches come with extra links, just in case. There are SO many colors of these watches, so go ahead and check out the whole collection, here. 

I had so much fun styling this watch for JORD. Check out all that JORD has to offer here!

DIY Summer Fun - Pineapple Gift Boxes

There's no doubt that it's summer, why not embrace it and make something cute inspired by tropical breezes (wishful thinking), and pineapples! Why not make someone smile by creating a gift box that is a present in itself. I made this project a little while back in order to help Wendy's to help promote their Blackberry Lemonade. It was just the right amount of tart and sweet, wrapped up into one pretty drink! What will you be making and gifting this summer?

This post was totally inspired by the amazingly awesome blog, Damask Love! 

- Oval-shaped Paper Mache Boxes 

- Yellow Paint, White Paint

- Paint Brush (to paint over entire box)

- Wooden Skewer Sticks (to paint white marks on boxes)

- Paint Brush

- Mint Green Sparkle Foam Sheet 

- Glue

- Gift Items or Candy to fill boxes

1.) Cover your work surface, and paint your boxes yellow. I used 2 coats, but they dried pretty quickly.

2.) Make sure your yellow paint is 100% dry, then with a skewer stick, draw/paint the lines onto the boxes. I basically put the white paint onto a paper plate, then laid the skewer sticks down, covered the end in paint, then drew the lines across the boxes. This helps you create super straight lines, too!

3.) Now, cut out your green top parts. Feel free to print the photo, below, to get the right shapes. I just sort of free-handed one, and traced it on the non-glitter side of the foam. These were so easy to cut out! 

4.) Now, simply glue the little green top pieces onto the boxes, and you're done!! Fill them with paper shreds, and whatever your heart delights! 

Mayil Scarves & Which Queen Are You?

Mayil reached out to me and asked for a bit of help photographing her products. The products she offers are stunning, and I had a great time capturing the beauty of these scarves, bracelets, and pendant necklaces she sent me. 

Mayil Scarves are absolutely gorgeous, and you must check them out!!! Check her out on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and her website! 

View All Bracelets, Here

View All Embroidered Scarves, Here

Which Queen Are You? Take the quiz, here, to find out! 

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Embroidered & Sequined Scarf - Denim Blue

Amazing Homemade Meatballs Recipe

Want a great recipe for someone special? I think this would make an awesome Father's Day recipe for Dad, grandpa, husbands, boyfriends, or whatever guy is special in your life, deserves this amazing dish!

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 lb. ground pork

- 1 egg

- 1 C. breadcrumbs

- Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, Van Zandt's seasoning mix

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with foil. 

2.) Spray a cooling rack with non-stick spray, and place it onto the foil lined baking sheet.

3.) Let's make the food! Combine sausage, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, egg, and seasonings in a medium bowl. Mix with hands (I always use rubber gloves), until well-combined.

4.) Roll mixture in hands to form 1"-1.5" balls, and place each one on the rack. Space them apart a bit, they won't change in shape, so you can bake quite a few at once.

5.) Bake for 16-20 minutes, and more if they aren't done yet. 

6.) While baking, boil your noodles, and heat your sauce separately. 

7.) To Serve: Place noodles on a plate, add meatballs, and then cover with sauce! Garnish with more parmesan cheese, and dinner is served! These are so incredibly easy to make, and reheat well. 

Other ideas for these meatballs:

- Meatballs, Peppers, and Penne Noodles

- Meatball Sandwiches

- Slice meatballs thin to put onto pizzas

- Dip them in sauce, without noodles

- Make ahead of time, and freeze these for dinner in advance! 

Man Crates - A Father's Day Gift Idea

Father's Day is fast approaching (June 19th to be exact), and I am helping to promote Man Crates. I added a little bit of text to their images, and made them even more pin-worthy! I hope you love this fun idea, or even get inspired to DIY one of your own...

BEER CAN CHICKEN - MAN CRATES GIFT BOX

WONDERFUL GIFT IDEAS FOR DAD

PERSONALIZED GIFT IDEAS & WHISKEY APPRECIATION FATHER'S DAY GIFT

KICK A$$ KNIFE MAKING KIT FOR FATHER'S DAY

BEARD WRANGLER KIT / BEARD GROOMING KIT 

To check out lots more Father's Day Gift Ideas, visit my Pinterest board, Gifts For Guys! 

GRILLING WITH SALT BLOCKS - LEARN MORE HERE

Erin Pelicano Jewelry

I absolutely love photographing anything from Erin Pelicano. I was so inspired by the city of Santa Fe, because of the gorgeous architecture, and the history of the buildings and my surroundings. I absolutely LOVE the fact that so many of the doorways, doors, and other parts of the buildings are painted mint or blue. Erin's necklaces always arrive wrapped in light blue tissue paper, so I thought that the mint railing would be the perfect place to photograph her necklaces. I also utilized an adorable courtyard (that I had all to myself!), and was able to work on her photos near a fountain and lots of pretty early Spring flowers. Such a magical place to work! I had so much fun with this project, and I hope you enjoy!! 

And, of course, these necklaces are wonderful gifts for Mother's Day and beyond! I have given these to various women in my family, and they are wearing them every time I visit! Erin Pelicano jewelry is always made from either real silver or gold, which I think sets her work far above the rest! 

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Find Erin Pelican Jewelry On The Web

Learn more about Erin Pelicano Jewelry on her website. 

If you are in need of product photography for your goods, please comment below, or feel free to Contact Me for quotes! I would love to help you capture the beauty of your products.

Mother's Day Gift Basket with Erin Pelicano Necklaces

I am so honored to be able to share another gorgeous necklace by Erin Pelicano. She has an incredibly wonderful sense of style, and I just love everything she creates! A few (or more) of her pieces are absolutely perfect for Mother's Day! In fact, they say Mother & Daughter right on them :) 

I thought a fun way to show off her beautiful necklaces would be in a cute, Mother's Day Gift Basket. Indulge Mom this Mother's Day (or any other time of the year), and give her thoughtful gifts, elegantly arranged in a gift basket. Stay tuned for a second blog post with another idea, coming soon!!

The items featured in this gift basket were partially provided by my goodie bag that I received at Create + Cultivate Dallas! Both the Seaweed Bath Co. Detox Cellulite Soap and the Black and White Striped Nora Socks from Richer Poorer Inc. were from C+C! The Poco Dolce Olive Oil Chocolate Bar was purchased in Santa Fe at Chocolate + Cashmere (which I will soon post photos of), and of course, the main attraction is this gorgeous necklace from Erin Pelicano! 

Let's Make A Gift Basket! 

I found this shallow basket to be perfect for a gift basket, featuring Erin's beautiful Mother & Daughter Necklace. 

MATERIALS:

- Shallow Wicker Basket

- Tissue Paper

- Moss

- Gerber Daisy Heads

- Various Items To Fill Basket That Mom Will Love

Lightly crumple up a piece of tissue paper and form it to the basket. This will ensure that the moss won't fall out. 

Add some moss to your gift basket for a rustic and Earthy look. 

Use wire cutters to easily remove flower heads from their stems. 

Now, gather your gifts, and begin to place them in the basket in a cute way. I first added the striped socks in back, and the chocolate next to them. Next, I centered the necklace, and placed the detox soap behind it. Lastly, I added the flowers in front left, and the center back. Just play around with the placement to ensure everything can be seen well.

A Gift Basket Tip: You can use Shrink Plastic (found at Dollar Tree) around this gift basket to hold everything in place. Stay tuned, as I will likely shrink wrap this basket, to keep it safe so I can send it to my mom! 

Milkyway Cases

THE YIN YANG MANDALA CASE

This case is gorgeous! It is boho and beautiful, and fits my phone really nicely. I love the all-over pattern of the mandala, it's so pretty! This one makes me think of all the fun memories summer music festivals bring. 

EYES CASE IN CLEAR

This also fit onto my phone very snug and nicely. I really like the mix of black and "gold" on this case, and the art is so great. I was inspired to use some eye makeup for the props in these photos :) The vibe of this case is more tumblr to me than boho. See ing the art on this case made me want to start drawing and sketching again, like I did when I was younger. 

What are your favorite Milkyway designs? Check out all of the new cases here! 

Vanity Planet - Pure Spin Facial Brush

I cannot even describe just how soft this facial brush is! So soft that I would even feel safe using it on skin near my eyes and my most sensitive skin! My face feels extremely soft after using this brush, and I am super happy to be able to include it in my newest face washing routine. I aways use this facial brush with my new favorite face wash, Cetaphil. 

And, this facial brush is only $30!! SHOP HERE NOW. 

You still have time to order these before Valentine's Day! {Or even hint to someone that this would be a great last-minute Valentine's Day present} - And, there are three color options, and I think the black and white version would be great as a Guy Gift! 

I like that they provide THREE color options! 

The Super Soft Facial Brush from Vanity Planet

So, if you are looking into refreshing and improving your facial care routine, check out the Vanity Planet brushes, here! 

Celebrate The Holidays With Nature Hills Nursery

I love my newest addition to my plant family! This Colorado Blue Spruce is just the right size, and I am going to plant it after the holidays. See, I'm the type of person who despises seeing live-cut Christmas trees on the curb less than a week after Christmas. It almost makes me cringe, knowing that the tree could have just been taken home with the roots in tact, in hopes of planting a tree in your yard or in a nearby park or nature preserve. 

These cute mini trees from Nature Hills Nursery would really make a wonderful gift! The Quart Sized Blue Spruce, pictured below, can be found here. 

And, here is a cute way to display your mini tree - I found this amazing silver serving tray at an antique shop and absolutely LOVE it! Place the tree in a galvanized metal bucket, set the tree onto the silver tray, and place as many vintage ornaments as you can onto the tray. I love how everything looks so classic and sparkles so beautifully! I also put a star-shaped cookie cutter by the silver tray for an extra bit of whimsy! 

A special thanks to Nature Hills Nursery for sending me this adorable Colorado Blue Spruce! I absolutely love it and am excited to see it grow huge over the next few years! 

Find Nature Hills Nursery Around The Web - { Pinterest / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website }

DIY Cotton Gift Bags

Check out my cute tutorial, to learn how to make some pretty adorable little gift bags. You can personalize any gift in minutes with these gift bags. 

MATERIALS: 

Cotton Gift Bags, Rubber Stamps, Ink Pad, Glue (Either Tacky Glue or Fabric Glue), Sequins

First, I recommend stamping onto a piece of paper before you stamp onto your gift bag, to make sure the design looks good. But, basically just figure out where you want your stamp to go, and carefully apply the inked stamp to your cotton bag. Press pretty hard, and make sure to not double over your design. 

Now, gather your glue and sequins, and make dots of glue all over the front of the gift bag. 

And, make sure to let the gift bag dry for a few hours, before giving this to anyone. 

Wood Watches by JORD #jordwatch

Looking for a fun gift, made in the USA? Here is a fun idea for you! I absolutely love this unique, and very well-made Wood Watch By JORD. I am sharing the Fieldcrest Watch in Maple! It is absolutely gorgeous, it's one of the nicest pieces of jewelry I own. 

See how I styled up this cute watch for the holidays, and check out our very first Stop Motion video!!! So happy with the outcome, and cannot wait to create another :)

Make sure to check out JORD Wood Watches around the web!

Website - Facebook - Instagram - #jordwatch - Pinterest

e.l.f. Cosmetics #PlayBeautifully

I have used e.l.f. cosmetics for a long time, I love their price point, and the packaging is always so attractive! So, I wanted to share a few of their newest goodies from e.l.f. to inspire you to #PlayBeautifully! I also encourage you to check out @elfcosmetics on Instagram to see what they are up to! 

So, the makeup pictured is as follows (all products from e.l.f.). I absolutely LOVE the Moisturizing Lipstick. The shade is also incredibly versatile, and has a very natural look to it. It was definitely moisturizing, which is hard to find most of the time. I think I will be picking up as many of these lipsticks as I can hold in my little hands next time I go to Target :) 

Moisturizing Lipstick in Marsala Blush ($3), Kiss It Goodbye Lip Color Remover ($3), Prism Eyeshadow in Sunset ($10), Precision Liquid Eyeliner ($3), On The Spot Blotting Papers ($5), and the Illuminating Palette ($6).  

I'm loving this moisturizing lipstick from e.l.f. in Marsala Blush. 

FIND THESE PRODUCTS ON AMAZON
New ~ e.l.f. Illuminating Palette
e.l.f. Precision Liquid Eyeliner, Black, 0.13 Ounce
e.l.f. Prism Ultra-silky and Lustrous Eyeshadow (e.l.f. Eye Shadow - Sunset)
e.l.f. Moisturizing Lipstick (Marsala Blush)
New ~ e.l.f. Studio Kiss It Goodbye Lip Color Remover

Find e.l.f. around the web - Instagram - Facebook - Pinterest - YouTube - Google+