Brilliant Gifts For The Girl Who Loves To Celebrate

Do you know someone who is always celebrating everything? Is she the life of the party, or always playing hostess? Heading to a holiday dinner party and want to bring something special? Here are some fun ideas for you! The links are below the collage - in the mean time, feel free to pin the gift guide for later. Happy Celebrating!!!

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Friendsgiving Decor Ideas

I am so excited about the idea of a Friendsgiving and I wanted to share some of my favorite inspirations for decor ideas. Excited to bring you upcoming posts about what to wear to Friendsgiving and also some recipe ideas too. For now, here are some creative ideas I found around the web, and hope to use as inspiration for my decor as well! How would you decorate for your friends this season?

An inexpensive utensil wrap idea, would be getting sheets of felt, and wrapping them around the utensils and then finishing them off with some raffia! You may already have the materials. (source).

As always, Pizzazzerie has the best decor for all seasons. Here is a cute bar cart idea that she created. I would love to use the colors in her photo, above, to use as inspiration for my Friendsgiving party! 

And these cups are just divine! Love the fonts, and turkey shape as well - nice designs! (above)

Above, DIY Show Off created this adorable drink station, which is perfect for guests - you never have to take time to refill their drinks - that's priceless! 

Lastly, although this decor would take a little bit of time, it would be a fun project! Make your very own real-leaf decor by simply spray painting leaves in metallic copper, letting them dry, and then tying them to strings. Found on Nicest Things

#SoFabSeasons - TONS Of Great Apple Recipes For Fall

Apples are such a huge part of the landscape and economy here in southern Illinois, and I love how versatile apples can be - in recipes, decor, and DIY projects. Have you created anything from apples lately? 

You may remenber my Baked Apple Donuts that I created for this apple-themed post roundup for #SoFabSeasons.
 photo donut 1.jpeg

One of my favorite things that brings up memories of fall is Apples! Do you remember apple picking with your family? How about all of those those tasty fall recipes for everything from fresh apple fritters to hot apple cider! We are excited to share with you this collection of amazing apple themed posts from many of our outstanding members here in the Social Fabric community. We know that you will enjoy them and hope that you can create some new fall memories for yourself and the ones you love.
SoFabSeasons Apples  
DESSERT RECIPES (* denotes recipes used in graphic)

*Lily the Wandering Gypsy - Fresh Apple Donuts with Bacon, Caramel Pecan Glaze

Home and Garden Cafe - Apple Pie Coconut Ice Cream

*Joy's Life - Apple Pie Dessert Pizza

*Kitchen Concoctions - Toffee Apple Pie Cookies

The Bandit Lifestyle - Delicious Apple Fritters Perfect for Fall

Roasted Beanz - Easy Crustless Almond Raisin Apple Pie

Wondermom Wannabe - Clean Eating Apple Crisp with Caramel Sauce

Anti June Cleaver - Mini Dutch Apple Pear Pie to Get You Ready for Fall

Basic N Delicious - Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake

Mostly Homemade Mom - Caramel Apple Pie Fudge

Little Blog in the Country - Pressure Cooker Canned Apple Pie Filling

Diana Rambles - Apple Spice Dump Cake

The Tip Toe Fairy - Apple Plum Skillet Cobbler

Five Marigolds - Sweet and Savory Salted Caramel Apple Dip

Intelligent Domestications - Apple Cinnamon Roll Cake & Apple Cream Cheese Icing

Home Maid Simple - Easy Apple Crisp

More or Less Cooking - Best Apple Fritter Coffee Cake

My Big Fat Happy Life - Skinny Caramel Ice Cream

* An Alli Event - Apple Bundt Cake with Praline Frosting

Tobin's Tastes - Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip

Ginger Casa - Delicious Apple Cranberry Pecan Crumble

Sweet Sensations - Apple Cobbler with Oatmeal Muffin Crust

A Labor of Life - How to Make Delicious Apple Roses

Julie Is Coco and Cocoa - Fried Cinnamon and Sugar Apple Rings

Polka Dotted Blue Jay - Mini Carmel Apple Bites

Finding Sanity in Our Crazy Life - No Bake Oatmeal Apple Pecan Cookies

Being Tazim - Strawberry Apple Crumble Vegan and Dairy Free

Upstate Ramblings - Caramel Apple Cake

Rebecca Lately - Baked Apple Recipe

Simple Food 365 - Light and Fluffy Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Mama Plus One - Homemade Apple Cider Donuts

Bento Lunch (dot) net - Caramel Apple Pudding Parfaits

MORE APPLE RECIPES

Broken TeePee - Salmon and Rice Noodles on Apples, Carrots & Zucchini

Revel & Glitter - Autumn Cranberry Apple Pear Salad

* Happy Go Lucky - Bacon Cheddar Apple Dip

Honest and Truly - Delicious and Easy Mini Apple Pancakes

Smiling Notes - Healthy Apple Pie Oat Pancakes

Creative Southern Home - Apple Bread

Beyond Mommying - Apple Bacon Grilled Cheese

Momcrieff - Apple Pancake Rings for Breakfast or Snack

Tiaras and Tantrums - Favorite Autumn Apple Snacks

Injenious Life - Gluten Free Applesauce Muffins

Everyday Party - Simple Caramel Apple Cider

A Paper Arrow - Apple Bread for the Fall

Happy and Blessed Home - Delicious Apple Recipes

Mom Saves Money - DIY Dehydrated Apple Rings

Gluesticks Blog - Baked Apple Chips

Life With Lorelai - Caramel Apple Crumbly Bread Recipe

Ava's Alphabet - Baked Apple Pancake

Life with Lovebugs - Spiced Applesauce and Oatmeal Muffins

For the Love of Crust - Homemade Crockpot Apple Cider

Oat & Sesame - Maple Your Applesauce

Southern Mom Loves - Cheddar and Apple Goldfish Snack Mix Recipe

My Life Cookbook - Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Bread (Gluten Free)

ACTIVITIES

Tales of Mommyhood - Apple Picking Favorite Family Activity

Mama Luvs Books - Apple Picking in Rhode Island

Kori at Home - Apple Tot School Unit with FREE Printables

Jenny at Dapperhouse - DIY Apple Basket Sorting Game

To & Fro - Tips for Apple Picking with Your Family

CRAFTS

Little Mama Jama - Apple Stamping Sensory Activity for Preschoolers

Creative Ramblings - Fabulous Fall Wood Apple Sign

Woods of Bell Trees - Quilted Apple Pillow

For What It's Worth - Apple Themed Party with DIY Apple Craft

The Kennedy Adventures - Paper Plate Apple Craft

Babs Projects - Apple Scented Potpourri Pouches

Great Contradictions - Apple Themed Candy Bar Wrapper Printables

BEAUTY

* Momerish - Apple Pie Sugar Scrub Perfect for Fall Pampering

Can you believe all these incredible Apple themed posts? Bookmark this page so you can come back and try out all the recipes, crafts and activities with you and your family! Check back next month when Social Fabric features posts with a pumpkin theme. You can always search the hashtag #SoFabSeasons to find more of what you're looking for!

Fresh Apple Donuts With Maple, Bacon, Caramel Pecan Glaze!

So, these fresh baked apple donuts turned out great. I adapted this recipe, from A Latte Food just a tiny bit, and they worked out so well. I loved each of the steps involved in this project. I also substituted buttermilk with vanilla yogurt (it worked out great!!). 

This is actually the first time that donuts have actually worked for me. Last time, they did not rise much, they were kind of bland, and I basically put the donut tin in the back of the cabinet to be forgotten for a while. 

But, I was recently invited to join a little blog post link up with some other bloggers, and the only requirement for #SoFabSeasons was that it had to do with apples. Well, off to Pinterest I went, and within minutes, I knew that donuts had to go down.

This was also my first time really making a glaze for donuts, and it turned into more of a caramel because I heated the mixture a bit too long, bringing the sugars to kind of caramelize. Oh well, these are amazing, and I loved topping them with an unexpected ingredient - bacon bits and pecans. That bacony flavor really goes so well with the other flavors, that I am so happy I added the bits. 


Another great thing about living in southern Illinois is that you don't have to go very far to find an apple (or peach tree) orchard. I photographed these apples, below, one day after I visited Flamm Orchards. I am sure they have been picked by now, because this was shot maybe 2 weeks ago :)

Donuts

  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • 2 Tbsp sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp butter

And, here are the apple crates at Flamm Orchard. I would LOVE to get one of those for a photography prop/surface! 


Maple Glaze

  • 2 Tbsp butter

  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Apples

  • 1 large apple, chopped finely
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping

  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 package bacon bits

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. (APPLES) On med-low heat, cook apple filling mixture for about 3-4 minutes. Pull off heat and allow to cool.
  2. (DONUTS) Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a 6-count donut pan liberally with baking spray.
  3. In a large bowl, sift flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt together.
  4. In a second bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla extract together.
  5. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in the wet ingredients. Gently mix the batter until combined.
  6. Add in melted butter and apples and mix until combined.
  7. Spoon the batter into the donut pan, evenly distributing the batter between the 6 donut cavities (you may have enough batter to make 7-8 donuts).
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the donuts are lightly golden and 'spring' back when touched.
  9. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
  10. (MAPLE GLAZE) Melt butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon over low heat. Once melted together, pull off the heat. Sift in powdered sugar, and whisk until fully combined. Allow to cool for 8-10 minutes so the glaze can thicken. You want to work kind of quickly on this step, because the glaze can cool kind of quickly, and thickens. 
  11. Dip each donut into the glaze and immediately sprinkle with chopped pecans. The elongated-shaped dish shown in white, is one I got at IKEA, it was the perfect shape. Allow to cool on a wire baking rack.
  12. Enjoy!

PIN IT FOR LATER...

Fall Favorites with Sahale Snacks - Great For A Fall Adventure

I am so excited that the leaves are changing colors a little bit, and our yard is sprinkled with fallen leaves. Around this time of year, I yearn for Fall adventures here in southern Illinois, and always make sure to bring a bag packed with snacks, bottled water, and a cozy blanket. I love bringing travel sized Sahale Snacks® on my adventures, they're great for grab and go snacking.

Where are your favorite go-to, local places to visit during Fall? Mine would have to be some of our local orchards (Rendleman Orchards and Flamm Orchards are my top picks) here in southern Illinois, Rendleman even has a very nostalgic pumpkin patch - where you can use a red wagon to transport all of your hand-picked pumpkins to the checkout station. J

I’m sharing #SahaleSnackers in my life as part of a Sahale Snacks® sponsored series for Socialstars™.

Another place I love visiting would be one of our wineries, that also serves hand crafted apple cider (life-changing!!). And, when the weather cools down a bit, we love hiking through the Shawnee National Forest (Pomona Natural Bridge is a short hike, but incredibly majestic). I have learned to never leave the house without a snack, so the Raspberry Crumble Sahale Snacks®, and the Pomegranate Vanilla Flavored Cashews would make a great snack, while adventuring to fun places this Fall. 

I like keeping a couple of these grab and go sized packages of Sahale Snacks® in my car, just for spur of the moment adventures, or of course, days when I run a million errands. Just a couple bites of a snack like this will keep me going. 

I also love bringing along a notebook, so I have somewhere to collect my thoughts, project ideas, but have to admit, love snacking while I journal :)

Where will you take your Sahale Snacks® this Fall? 

How To Create A Halloween BOO Kit (A Dog Gift Basket for Halloween) PLUS 2 DIY Dog Toys

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

So excited to present you with an adorable Halloween Gift Basket, that can be made with a few simple materials, and then given to someone as a surprise. This is all about gifting a fun, dog-related gift basket and then secretly giving it to someone who deserves it. The person I chose to gift mine to is our long-time family veterinarian, Dr. Tally at Central Hospital for Animals here in Carbondale, IL. 


Get tons of inspirations, and to see more of the BOO Kits on the here
And, visit BooItForward page on Walmart.comhere  BOO Kit
 BOO Kit

ADD THESE ITEMS TO YOUR BOO KIT BASKET

American Greetings® has a great selection of Halloween Items like treat/candy bags, stickers, tissue paper, gift bags, and Halloween Cards. These would make for adorable and thoughtful additions to fill any BOO Kit Gift Basket!

MY LITTLE HELPER, PORTER

Of course, my little chocolate Labradoodle and Chocolate Lab wanted to help with absolutely every step of this Halloween Boo Basket. They helped me make the toys, and Porter sat still for about 1 minute to help me shoot s few adorable puppy pics :) She just turned 10 weeks and she follows me everywhere. 


DIY MUMMY GIFT BASKET

MUMMY BASKET HOW TO:

1.) Cut cheesecloth (also called creepy cloth) into 2" strips lengthwise. 

2.) Wrap 2-3 strips around the basket and secure with glue in back.

3.) Cut out eyes from the sparkle foam. You will see that I simply cut two ovals out of the white one, then black pupils from the black foam. Glue the eyes to the front of the basket.

4.) Wrap and glue 2-3 more strips of cheesecloth around the basket, making sure to overlap the eyes just a little bit.

5.) Now, you are ready to fill your basket with all sorts of good things! Read on to learn about 2 Dog Toy DIY's, that are so easy!


DIY HALLOWEEN DOG TOY #1

These toys are simple, but my pups really love them. The fleece also cleans their teeth, and this toy gives dogs a really safe toy to play tug with since it's so soft. Here's how to make them:

1.) Cut 3 strips of fleece (any combo of 1-3 colors will do), and stretch the pieces as long as they will stretch. 

2.) Tie the 3 pieces of fleece together at the top, and use a clip board to hold the pieces, or ask a friend to hold the pieces while you braid them.

3.) Braid the pieces together, and tie the end up so the braid doesn't come loose. That's it!

DIY HALLOWEEN DOG TOY #2

This simple dog toy requires only two materials - 2 tennis balls, and 2 Halloween Socks. Dogs LOVE these toys so much! Make sure to use supervision when allowing a dog to play with any toy. 



SHOPPING FOR BOO KIT SUPPLIES 

I found the majority of the materials in this BOO Kit at Walmart. The MARS Pet supplies are all located in the Pet Care aisle at Walmart. I found these items, below, that I added to my BOO Kit. 

  • PEDIGREE® DENTASTIX™ Fresh Treats Small/ Medium (Doggie Dental Area)
  • PEDIGREE® MARROBONE™ Real Beef Flavor Treats Mini (Dog Treats Area)
  • CESAR® SAVORY DELIGHTS® ROTISSERIE CHICKEN FLAVOR WITH BACON & CHEESE (In the soft dog food area).

GIFTING THE BOO KIT

I decided to surprise my vet with this fun BOO Kit! I am sure she is going to LOVE it! Who will you surprise with the BOO Kit you create? Please tell me in the links below, and if you make your own BOO Kit, then also share that link too :)

Elegant Chocolate-Dipped Patriotic Oreos

Have you noticed that most candy/chocolate stores offer chocolate-dipped Oreos among their other chocolate bon-bons and other confections? I have always been amazed by this, because they are SO incredibly easy to make. I figure, why not just make some of my own at home! I also wanted an excuse to check out the Oreo Thins that I have been seeing everywhere, so I thought this would be the perfect project!

Without further ado, here are my Elegant White Chocolate-Dipped Oreos, perfect for Labor Day Celebrations, and other times when you just wanna decorate some desserts!

- 1-2 packages of Oreo Thins (find them here)

- Ghirardelli Classic  White Melting Wafers or White Chocolate Chips (find them here)

- Red Food Coloring Gel (this is the set I have) or red candy melts

- Blue Sprinkles (similar here

- Glass jar to dip Oreos into (mine was the 8 oz. size, I believe)

- Skewer Stick

- Parchment Paper

 

1.) Melt white chocolate in a double boiler method or in the microwave, stirring regularly to make cure it's smooth and fully melted. 

2.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3.) Transfer a portion the melted white chocolate to a jar that is about as deep as the Oreo Thins are wide. Leave about 1/2" of room from the chocolate to the top of the jar.

4.) Dip each Oreo Thin into the white chocolate, and dip in little over half way, leaving space at top.

5.) As you pull the cookie out of the jar of white chocolate, use a skewer stick to scrape excess chocolate off the back of the cookie, and around the sides. This is a great tip, that makes your cookies look way better and less gloppy as they dry.

6.) Put each cookie onto the parchment, and let cool completely. 

7.) After you have dipped every cookie, pour more white chocolate into a jar, and add lots of red gel food coloring. This could also be done with red melting wafers. 

8.) Transfer to Ziploc bag, and cut a tiny opening in one corner. ***Working one cookie at a time, add lines of red chocolate, then a few blue start sprinkles to each cookie. Practicing first helps!

9.) Enjoy your cookies! These would be perfect for a party or just enjoying at home!!!

An Easy Treat For Labor Day And Beyond

I have an awesome, tasty, and amazingly easy dessert idea for Labor Day festivities and beyond. Definitely want to admit that I did not make my own cupcakes, though - I got some delicious pre-made Red Velvet Cupcakes from our local Schnuck's grocery store, and also found the berries there too. But, the little special touches always make people smile, so you can recreate your own by simply adding some blueberries and raspberries to some cupcakes of your own. You could even grab the 3 ingredients on your way to a party, and decorate the desserts when you arrive! I also love how the seersucker fabric and little silver stars confetti makes for a patriotic yet elegant decor idea for any holiday that's red, white, and blue! 

If you do want to make your own Naturally Colored Red Velvet Cupcakes, Food52 has an awesome recipe that uses beets (instead of red food coloring) - which is incredible! 


NATURALLY DYED RED VELVET RECIPE FROM FOOD52:

For the cake:

  • 1 cup beet purée, from fresh red beets (not cooked)
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, not Dutch-process
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs

For the cream cheese frosting:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
  • 1 pound confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions:

Add the beet purée, buttermilk, vinegar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until very smooth.

Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt together in a bowl. Beat the sugar, oil, and butter together in a large bowl until creamy, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and beet mixture to bowl, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide between the cupcake papers and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes.

Cool the cupcakes on a rack for 20 minutes or more. Then, get the icing ready. 


To make the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese together on high speed until fluffy and smooth, then add the crème fraîche. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the confectioners' sugar until just combined, then turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat until fluffy and smooth, making sure to stop the mixer and scrape down to the bottom of the bowl so everything is evenly mixed. Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt. Enjoy!

Fall Tailgating + Football Party Tips!

I cannot wait for Fall, and one fun part of Fall is tailgating! Football season, and cooler temperatures make a great excuse to get together with friends and enjoy some good food and drink! Below, are some ideas on making your tailgating and football parties so much more elegant and grown-up. Most of these ideas, from some of my favorite bloggers, are just creative DIY ideas, that don't have to be expensive or time consuming. So, let's get ready for some football...

Serve Drinks From A Pumpkin (Waiting On Martha) - You can simply add some ice to a hollowed-out pumpkin and add beer, or line a smaller pumpkin with a plastic container and add dip for chips or veggies! Learn how Waiting On Martha styled an adorable tailgate party of her own here. 

Use Eco-Friendly Plates (Food 52) - If you must use disposable plates and food holders, there are more Eco-friendly options like these compostable wooden hot dog trays and more from Food52.

Create A Hydration Station (Style Me Pretty Vault) - Provide guests with inexpensive drinks like fruit-infused water, lemonade, and tea. Learn more about this incredible party, in the Style Me Pretty Vault Files.

DIY Flannel Napkins (Hey Wanderer) - Follow this cute DIY Tutorial from Hey Wanderer, or simply cut or rip a couple of yards of inexpensive plaid flannel fabric into 16" x 16" squares to provide guests with something more substantial thank those flimsy paper napkins. 

Style Me Pretty & Author Ngoc Nguyen Lay really know how to tailgate in style! This image, below, really shows a great overall party setup! Incorporating vintage items like an ice cream cone holder (used for fries and veggies in the photo), Picnic baskets, metal buckets, and pom-poms makes this setup look elegant instead of over the top. Learn more, here

Serve Elegant & Unexpected Treats (Happy Wish Company) - I just love how these macarons, cup of strawberries, wooden utensils, cloth napkin, and sandwich in a spotted paper party favor bag. Find fun party ideas like this one, from Happy Wish Company

I'm hoping to put together my own set of Tailgating Ideas in an upcoming post, so stay tuned!!

An Adorable Gift Idea - Spin For Perfect Skin & Coffee Cacao Coconut Sugar Scrub #VPbeauty

I wanted to share a little DIY project with you, and tell you all about a wonderful Mother's Day gift idea from Vanity Planet! Keep reading to learn more about this Shabby Chic Birdcage Gift Basket, the Vanity Planet Spin For Perfect Skin, and the Vanity Planet Coffee + Cacao + Coconut Sugar Scrub. This DIY is SO easy, let's get started!!

Let's Make A Gift Basket!! 

Materials Needed -

1 birdcage, large enough to fit your gifts (I found this one at JoAnns)

Silk Flowers (I chose peonies - I used about 4-5)

Pink Paper Crinkles

Vanity Planet Spin For Perfect Skin Brush, Vanity Planet Sugar Scrub

That's it!

I filled the birdcage with paper crinkles, to make add a pop of color, and to make sure the body scrub and spin brush fit in the birdcage properly. I love how it looks. 

Top off the gifts with some silk flower heads to hide them a bit. love how well the presents fit inside of this shabby chic birdhouse. 

So, here's what is inside of this amazing gift basket. The Spin For Perfect Skin gift set comes with FOUR brush heads, which is awesome! My current spin brush is great, so this set will last w very long time. I love the addition of this larger brush head (it measures a few inches across), because it's perfect for your neck, chest, and back. I think it's a good idea to have a separate spin brush head for your face compared to the rest of your body. I also really like the pumice stone head. This is a bit more than anything I need at this point, but a lot of people would absolutely LOVE this!! Get your skin ready for summer with this awesome gift set. The sugar scrub was nice too. Read more about that below. 

Cute Gift Basket!

Below, you will see the brush head that I have on my current spin brush, as well as an even softer brush head, that might be nice around your eyes. 

Spin Brush

This Bru Coffee + Coconut Cacao Sugar Scrub contains "dead sea salt, organic kona coffee, organic olive oil, sweet almond oil, organic grape seed oil, coffee arabica seed oil, organic shea butter, and natural fragrance extracts". When I first opened it, I could instantly smell the coffee. It smells very fresh, and not only like coffee, but a very pleasant mix of sweetness as well. 

I would definitely recommend opening this over the sink or the tub, because it is a bit messy, but is very easily containable (if that makes sense...). This scrub is more oily than others I have used. I wound up needing to use another soap to fully remove it from my skin. But, it's very luscious, and I am so glad it contains almost 100% organic ingredients. That's very hard to find! 

This Essential Body Scrub "hydrates, moisturizes, and stimulates blood flow while targeting cellulite and stretch marks. It exfoliates dead skin" and smooths your skin out very nicely. 

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 :) 

Erin Pelicano Jewelry + Lily The Wandering Gypsy

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! 

Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy

 

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. 

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. 

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

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

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.

Erin Pelicano + Lily The Wandering Gypsy

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! 

Erin Pelicano Jewelry + Lily The Wandering Gypsy