11/27/2017

2017 Gift Guide: Small Business Gift Ideas

Well hello there, everyone! And welcome to our first gift guide of the season! I know Small Business Saturday was, well, technically on Saturday, but that shouldn’t stop us from supporting small businesses as much as possible throughout the year, right? So today I’m sharing some special small business gift ideas from some of my favorite makers and shops with a particular focus on home and style gift items!

1. Sunwoven: I’m absolutely LOVING the artist collaboration between Sunwoven and Anthropologie, particularly this throw and this pillow. Yes, this is Anthropologie, but these collaborations definitely support the artists and help them expand into products that they might not have the capacity to produce on their own. You can also find Sunwoven original wall hangings on their website right here and through their collaboration with West Elm here!

2. Beautiful, colorful baskets from 31 Bits that help support fair pay and clean, safe workplaces for artisans around the world.

3. Jill Makes Necklace: I have a couple of necklaces from Jill Makes â€“ and someone compliments me on them literally every single time I wear them. I’m loving this coral and emerald wood bead necklace and this colorful necklace!

4. A beautiful piece from Secret Holiday Co. with a simple and powerful message.

5. Electric Sun Creatives makes the most beautiful metal wall hangings. I can’t stop thinking about this brass and copper piece.

6. The River Haze: I just can’t get over the woven and macramÃ© wall hangings by The River Haze, and the way she incorporates geometric wood art into some of her pieces. Just gorgeous!

7. When trivets are works of art. Loving these brass rainbow trivets from 31 Bits.

8. Hand painted wood wall charms by The Great Lakes Goods (the pastel rainbows are my current favorite!)

9. Candles make such lovely gifts! This ceramic candle is just gorgeous â€“ and the vessel can be reused once the candle is done!

10. Beautiful nature-inspired ceramic pieces from A Question of Eagles

11. Amy Hamley Ceramics: I’m completely obsessed with all the amazing ceramics by Amy Hamley. These starburst dishes are absolutely incredible, but don’t even get me started on the gorgeous planters and vases. They’re all gorgeous and would make lovely gifts!

12. Paper & Clay Danish Mug: My husband gave me this mug in pink for Christmas last year, and I LOVE IT. This deep blue is so pretty!

11/22/2017

DIY Watercolor and Gold Leaf Gift Tags

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cuties. All content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, which means the season of giving is just around the corner! I grew up in Florida, so I always associate the months of December through February with amazing in-season winter citrus. My favorite little citrus fruit, Cuties, is finally back in our local grocery store â€“ yay! Even though the days are shorter and the nights are longer, Cuties is sending us a dose of love and sunshine straight from their California groves right when we need it most. I’m so excited to celebrate both the season of giving and the return of Cuties season with these gorgeous DIY watercolor and gold leaf gift tags!

Now that I live in DC and spend most of my holidays with my husband’s family in upstate New York, I’ve learned to embrace the dark coziness of the winter months in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. We wrap ourselves in warm blankets, make tea and hot cocoa in the evening, light lots of candles with the seasonal scents of evergreen, vanilla, and citrus â€“ and of course we snack on delicious, in-season winter citrus. My kids always reach straight for the bowl of Cuties on the kitchen counter: they’re sweet, seedless, easy for little hands to peel apart, and perfectly kid-sized. They’re also the perfect on-the-go snack, and we always bring a handful of Cuties when we’re out exploring on the weekends.

One of the things I love most about being a mom of two little girls is seeing the way they offer love and affection so freely and easily. They’re full of hugs for all their little friends when I drop them off at school in the morning â€“ and then again when I pick them up in the afternoon! Whenever her older sister is having a bad day or falls and scrapes a knee, my youngest daughter, Alice, will bring over her favorite toy or doll to make her older sister feel better. It’s the absolute sweetest thing to see.

I wrapped a bunch of Cuties in these watercolor and gold leaf gift tags for my daughters to give to their teachers and school friends as our family’s Cuties Correspondents. I’ve been talking with my girls a lot lately about the concepts of kindness and compassion as we head into the holiday season, and these little treats are the perfect way to bring a smile to their friends’ faces as we head off for the holiday weekend. Even as adults, I’m sure we could all use a surprise treat with a sweet message to brighten our day. Cuties are the perfect snack to share with friends and loved ones, from preschool friends to coworkers, and these sweet gift tags make them even more special. Let’s make some!

Supplies

Bag of Cuties!

Gift Tag Maker

Cotton Watercolor Paper

Watercolor Set or Watercolor Brushes

Size 6 Round Paint Brush

Gold Leaf Kit

Scissors

Ribbon

To make the DIY watercolor and gold leaf gift tags:

Step 1. Use a gift tag maker to punch gift tags out of 100% cotton watercolor paper and create a small eyelet hole for the ribbon. If you don’t have a gift tag maker, you can use scissors and a standard hole punch. 100% cotton watercolor paper will best absorb the watercolor pigment without warping, so try to avoid lower quality paper or card stock for this project.

Step 2. Use a Size 6 round paint brush to paint a thin line of orange watercolor on one edge of the gift tag. I used this 30-color watercolor set, but these watercolor brush pens would be fun, too!

Step 3. Add a thin strip of gold leaf above the orange watercolor, leaving enough room to write a name above the gold leaf. Each gold leaf kit is different, so follow the instructions on your package for best results.

Step 4. Wrap a Cutie in your favorite ribbon (or place a few Cuties into a little bag!), then attach a gift tag and write the name of the recipient. Too cute!

I mixed things up with some gift tags that only have gold leaf, some that only have the dash of watercolor, and some that have both â€“ so fun! For older kids, I love the idea of writing a sweet little note on the other side, but since my kids are still very young we kept our gift tags simple. Now that they’re just learning how to write their names and read, the kids in my daughters’ preschool and kindergarten classes just LOVE getting little gifts or notes with their names on them!

These gift tags are such a fun and easy way to add a dose of color and sparkle to little gifts â€“ and if you have older children, they can even join in on the painting and gilding process!

How will you be celebrating the return of Cuties season? Share your ideas for brightening someone’s day in the comments below!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cuties. All content and opinions are my own. Brighten someone’s day and share the sweetness of the season by sharing Cuties with friends and loved ones during our #100DaysofSunshine!

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

11/21/2017

Thanksgiving Cocktail Ideas

If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent countless hours researching Thanksgiving recipes (it’s my first time being in charge of the turkey!), planning your ingredient list, and even thinking about how to set your holiday table. But what about the cocktails?? If you’re still looking for ideas for delicious Thanksgiving cocktail recipes to enjoy while gathered with family, we’ve got you covered! Here are a few Thanksgiving cocktail ideas from our favorite seasonal cocktail recipes, including a cozy Scandinavian GlÃ¶gg (basically a fortified mulled wine), some favorite fall smashes, and even a traditional hot rum punch!

Traditional Swedish GlÃ¶gg Cocktail Recipe // Orange-Vanilla Bean Scotch Smash Cocktail Recipe

Mulled Daiquiri Cocktail Recipe

Apple Cinnamon Calvados Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe // Traditional Hot Rum Punch

Rosemary Pear French 75 Cocktail Recipe // Bourbon Pear-Vanilla Bean Smash Cocktail Recipe

Okay, first of all â€“ if you haven’t tried either of the smashes above â€“ Orange-Vanilla Bean Scotch Smash or Bourbon Pear-Vanilla Bean Smash â€“ you’ve GOT to try them this weekend. They’re easily two of my favorite cocktail recipes we’ve ever done and are just so delicious.

The Traditional Swedish GlÃ¶gg and Hot Rum Punch can both be made in large batches, making them the perfect drink for large gatherings. They’re especially good if you’re celebrating the holiday in a colder climate! My in-laws are already reporting snow in Upstate New York, so we’re leaning towards warm cocktail recipes for our own holiday menu.

The Mulled Daiquiri, Apple Cinnamon Calvados Old Fashioned, and Rosemary Pear French 75 are all a bit more adventurous with some custom syrups, but well worth the effort! The Rosemary-Pear French 75 involves champagne or sparkling wine (always a crowd pleaser), while the mulled daiquiri is a fun seasonal spin on a classic tropical cocktail recipe.

So many great ideas! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

11/20/2017

Holiday Party Outfit Idea: Laser-Cut Midi Skirt and Jean Jacket

This post is sponsored by eBay.

I mostly live in jeans and a t-shirt â€“ or jeans and a sweater when the weather turns cold. But with the holidays just around the corner, I wanted to add a couple of skirts and dresses to my wardrobe for holiday gatherings. A midi skirt is the perfect length for my petite (5’2″) frame, so I turned to eBay to find exactly what I was looking for!

Did you know that 80% of all merchandise sold on eBay is brand new? I found this gorgeous (and totally brand new!) laser-cut midi skirt by J.Crew in the prettiest shade of blush pink. The skirt is also available in white and navy blue, but I’m loving blush for the holidays â€“ not to mention for wearing again in the spring and summer! Plus, this skirt has pockets. Who can resist a skirt with pockets??

I paired my blush pink midi skirt with my favorite jean jacket â€“ another eBay score! I love the cropped fit of this J.Crew jean jacket, and it’s the perfect shade of lightly faded denim. A jean jacket is a wardrobe staple that everyone should have in their closet. And I’m pretty sure the best part is getting to decorate your jacket with your favorite pins and flair!

These days, 87% of items sold on eBay are Buy it Now â€“ which means you can purchase your item instantly and totally hassle-free, with no bidding necessary and no more waiting days for an auction to end. It’s perfect when you know exactly what you want and need it fairly quickly!

The skirt runs pretty true to size, but if you’re thinking about buying the jean jacket I’d recommend going up a size so you can layer it over light sweaters and long sleeve tops. With super fast free shipping, everything arrived at my door within three days. If you’re hunting for the perfect outfit for Thanksgiving dinner and holiday parties, be sure to shop now!

Photos by Anna Meyer Photography

This post is sponsored by eBay. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!

11/17/2017

Happy Weekend!

Happy Friday everyone! Last weekend, I hosted Jenna of Mon Voir at Common Room Studio to celebrate her new book, Everyday Watercolor. We had 60 people at the studio over Saturday and Sunday, and it felt so great to finally share the space with people! If you’re in the DC area, we have two really exciting workshops coming up over the next few weeks: an ornament painting workshop with Talia of The White Hearth on Small Business Saturday, and a holiday table styling workshop with Wld Wst on December 16 that we’re calling Architecture of a Table. I’m so excited for both workshops â€“ they’re going to be so fun! But in the meantime…