Be Mine

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Valentine's Day is right around the corner.  Although some may find it a cheesy holiday, I just love it.  I love to love, and a whole day to recognize the love I have for all the great people in my life is definitely worth celebrating to me.  Here are some sweet treats for Valentine's Day (or any time) that made me feel the love.

xo Bridget

Back To Blog

I can't believe it has been a month since I blogged! Where does the time go ... oh, I know! The Holidays.  The week before we left town for Christmas was some real madness, but so worth it since I was able to get the holidays off. My husband,  our dog, and I traveled to my parents home in Virginia the Saturday before Christmas and got to stay through New Years.  It was a glorious (almost) two weeks filled with family time, catching up with friends, and just enjoying the season.  I still find it hard to fit everything in when I go home for a visit .. no matter how much time I get it always feels just too short.

THEN, literally the day after we got back I flew to Orlando for a work conference (Orlando in January - heck yeah!).  So needless to say, time has slipped away, but this week I am so happy to be back to blogging.  Although I am sometimes skeptical about the time I put into this blog, I have really missed it.  

So now that I've explained why I haven't been posting, I thought I'd share a few snaps that I've taken over the past month while I've been away. Enjoy!

.christmas dogs with their christmas toys.

.an impromptu new years day champagne bar.

.a new years day feast that my mom put together.

.pretty bon bons.

.berry trifle.

.fake enthusiasm for the 12 hour drive back to georgia.

 . loews portofino bay resort in orlando.

.a selfie with a very fragrant pandora crown.

.epcot at sunset.

.jax settling back into life after christmas.

I hope you had a peaceful and joyful Christmas and New Years!
xo Bridget

Pretty Packaging

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Yesterday, I completed my Christmas shopping .. well nearly, there's always something that pops up right at the last moment.  But, for now, I am at least at the point of wrapping.  There's nothing I enjoy more then sitting down to wrap all the Christmas goodies that I have purchased. I love giving a beautifully wrapped gift almost as much as I enjoy receiving one. 

Over the weekend, I got on Pinterest to have a look at some creative wrapping ideas that I could take inspiration from.  Above are some of my favorite picks.  There are some that I can take inspiration from for this year and some that I may save for next year.  I love the labels in #1 for homemade food gifts for next year.  

While I was home in Virginia at the beginning of November, my Mom and I stopped at Paper Source to get some inspiration for putting together small gifts for the people that I work with.  We saw the below gift bag and label idea on display and loved it, so I decided to replicate it.  At Paper Source, they always have great ideas and examples on display throughout the store, it's awesome for inspiration. 

Here are some pics of the goodie bags that I put together.  The bags are filled with holiday candy and a small pack of homemade cookies with a hand sanitizer tied to the front of each.  To me, it's like a little retail "get me through this holiday season" care pack.

The items used to make the bags were purchased at Paper Source.

(Links:  Bags, Twine, Tags, Label, Stamp, Clothespins)

The sanitizers and holders are from Bath & Body Works (here and here)

The cookie bags were purchased at Micheals.

xo Bridget

Holiday Gift Guide: Made in America

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For years, I spent the holiday season working in a toy store.  I loved my job especially at the holidays when I could get out on the sales floor and help customers find the perfect gift that I had helped pick out for the store.  Every year around the holidays, I would get a customer or two that would only want to be shown items that were made in the USA.  Well, as you can imagine, in a toy store that could be quite difficult.  I was usually able to help the customer find something, but was always frustrated with the slim choices. Since then, things made in the USA have really stood out to me.

Today, while I was working on some things in the house, I overheard an ad for ABC's "Made in America" series. I tested myself mentally to see if I could come up with some companies that make their products in America and it was a little embarrassing.  I decided I would do a post on great gifts that are also made in America.  

I came across this website with lots of great Made in America companies for future reference.  In this guide I tried to pick items that you might see out and about in shops.  I know Etsy and alot of the small companies listed on that website are handcrafted items made in the USA, but with online ordering time dwindling I thought it might be useful to list items that you are more likely to see while running your other Christmas errands.

Hope you find this interesting - I sure did!

xo Bridget

Christmas Cookies

This weekend I was pretty excited to get some fun things on my Holiday To Do List checked off.  One of those things and one of my most favorite things to do ever is bake christmas cookies.  I am really trying to be good and stay on track with my healthy eating between now and Christmas, but I couldn't not make cookies.  So, I decided to make some festive Christmas sugar cookies to give out as gifts.  

I've got a real weakness for pretty sugar cookies and I just love to make them myself.  I have a favorite recipe, which you can find in my post on Shamrock Sugar Cookies from back in March. The recipe is so simple and always makes a yummy cookie.  After that,  I just whip up some royal icing (I use meringue powder), and top them with some pretty sugar crystals.  

xo Bridget

Stocking Stuffers

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1. Lush Bath Bubble Bar:  Love the idea of this little mistletoe in someone's stocking for a nice long bubble bath treat after a long Christmas day.

2. Swedish Soap: From the makers of the classic sea salt soap - I'm sure it smells great like their other soaps plus I love the festive packaging.

3. Fancy Charger Cable: Who couldn't' use an extra one of these? Cute and Apple approved.

4. Razor Holder: This thing is awesome. Slip it over your shave cream can and your razor sits in the prongs. Whoever invented this deserves a medal!

5. Peppermint Bark Bites: Everyone loves a little peppermint bark for the holidays.

6. Strawberry Lip Balm: I love this in the tin form but the tube form is much more practical. I always like fun little beauty goodies in my stocking.

7. Seven Year Pen: I bought this pen and love it, I've only had it two years but it's still kicking' - great stocking stuffer for anyone and so much prettier than the usual.

8. White Peppermint Truffles: Pretty packaging and fills up the little stocking gaps.

9. Happy Socks: Because they make you happy.

10. Cable Keeper:  This little goldfish will keep those pesky iPhone charger plugs and cables organized on the go or in your house.

11. Petite Candle: I love these candles and this size is great for someone who travels a lot or just to put on your bedside table.

xo Bridget

Gifts under $25

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1.  Voluspa Sugarplum Candle: These pretty candles make the best gifts - love this festive scent.

2.  Pretty notebooks from Rifle Paper Co: Everybody needs a pretty notebook for work or play.

3.  Butter London Gift Duo: My favorite nail polish in a festive giftset, but with colors you can wear year round.

4. Initial Pillow: Great idea for someone that just moved into a new place or who loves a splash of color.

5. Let's Salsa Dish and Spoon: Is this not the cutest little set? For the Mexican foodie in your life.

6. Philosophy Pink Marshmallow Buttercream gift set: Philosophy always makes the best gift, this set has three of my favorite philosophy items in a yummy scent.

7. Gold Confetti Tumblers: For your friend that loves to make everything a little fancy.

xo Bridget

Gifts Under $50

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1. Sweet and Simple Bangles: These come in a few different options of metals, something for everyone.

2. Cashmere Touch Tech Gloves: You don't even have to take these cozies babies off to answer your phone.

3. Philosophy Rollerball Set: Wish you grave and love: sweet scents and sentiment.

4. L'Occitane Hand Cremes: Great little portable tubes of this lovely hand cream and much needed by all during the upcoming Winter months.

5. Cultured Elegance Earrings:  Classic and Elegant.

6. Feather Cheese Knives: For your cheese lover friend, we all have one!

7. A Beautiful Calendar: Doubles as wall art and an art project once the month is through.

8. Fleur de Sel: A nice fresh scent and a gift that I always like to get.

xo Bridget

Gifts Under $100

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1. Ugg Flip Flop Slippers: Two great ideas put together AND made out of Ugg fluff.
2. Sparkly Cashmere Infinity Scarf: A classic with a fun hint of sparkle.
3. Pj's in the Prettiest Print: Cath Kidston never disappoints.
4. Luxury Candle Set: A good deal for these three favorites, and a great gift for any candle lover.
5. Barefoot Dreams Throw: Softest blanket EVER.
6. Tocca Meet The Girls Sampler: I have smelled a few of these scents before and they are all nice.  This is a great little set for someone who likes to get creative and layer scents.
7. Pandora Light as a Feather Ring: This ring is beautiful, I love it worn on the middle finger; a nice and unusual gift.

xo Bridget