Gilded fashion...................and rest

The best thing about blogging is that you can do it while you are sick in bed. Both my husband and I are down and out, he is taking a sick day for the first time in 37 years of practice. I was supposed to have a fun girly outing today and so I am amusing myself between naps with my current fashion obsession and girly things of a gorgeous nature. Have a most wonderful weekend and I will be wrapping again soon, just in case you noticed I have sidetracked on my blog subject lately. That is the other good thing about blogging, there aren't any rules except the ones you make yourself.




Photo from We Heart This via Pinterest.

Kate Spade..............makes me feel positively haplish

Of course haplish is not a word, I just made it up. I love clever people and it is no secret that I think Kate Spade New York is one clever retail concept. And I know I am not telling you anything we don't already know. But why do I think that? I figured it out..............she brings "happy and stylish" together for me in one great visual package. Her website, her ads, her products, and her branding always make me feel positively energized. I love feeling haplish this time of year...............enough of cold and white, bring on some colour please.

I got a big dose of haplish this morning when I noticed this clutch-sized book named Things We Love on Pinterest. It's a bound curated version of the popular feature on the Kate Spade website, sort of a ongoing inspiration board put together by the creative Kate Spade team. I was ready to order pronto but it seems you can't buy this limited edition book but you can feast your eyes on the virtual edition on her website here. It will make you feel positively haplish in a Kate Spade kind of way. Worked for me on this cold and gray day. 

Speaking of perky visuals, my Pinterest boards are growing along with my impatience with winter weather (there does seem to be a direct link) so if you need even more of colour come over and visit by clicking here. It is a happy place.

Dior Red...............Haute Couture SS 2010

If I had one creative wish in life, I think it would be to shadow John Galliano while he creates these exquisite haute couture creations for Christian Dior. I wouldn't make a peep, be invisible as a ghost, but just absorb what I think it the most brillant of fashion design. Only because it is what I dream of while I sleep, strangely enough. I know there is people who think haute couture is wasteful in this world of ours..............I am not one of them. I think fashion at this level is art in it's most beautiful and inspirational form. It will tell the future world much about us some day. His Spring/Summer 2011 collection took my breath away. See more colours and gorgeous frocks here. Gone shopping for red. 

Luxurious License............

Luxurious mohair gifting choices here
Wouldn't this be a lovely wedding gift?

~ Poetic License by Lollia ~

No. 2 Sunspots On A Photograph. No. 05 In The Morning Light. No 18 Stacks of Pretty Paper. No 74 I Can Still Smell The Rain. No 37 Turned Over Earth. No 28 Summer of '82

New candles and home products from Lollia, the company that always has such beautiful packaging. Don't you just love those candle names from the Poetic License collection?

See more thoughtful candle names and scents here

~ Royal Bee by Lollia ~

Other dreamy and embellished duvets here.

Photos from Lollia

A very stylish envelope for gifting

Tell me this colour combination doesn't make you feel all cheery and bright. Loving this striking green stationery and the yellow Cloth Envelope made from excess curtain material. How clever.

It makes me feel positively summery and made me think of this inviting setting where Vicki Archer ~ French Essence lounges during the languid summer months. Should we ask her if she leaves that animal print chair out all summer? And those gorgeous pillows? I bet she does. 

You can order these Cloth Envelopes here and the graphic stationery set (along with that cool ink stamp)but I also think these stylish envelopes would be perfect for gifting wedding cash, event tickets, travel vouchers, gift cards, or a spa certificate. Order a bundle, so clever for gift presentation.

1 and 3 via maemaepaperie/2 via French Essence

Something pretty for Mother's Day

Sometimes when I see a craft, often from Martha Stewart, I wish I was good at crafty creations. Wish I was patient and precise and could painstakingly work until the craft at hand was perfect and finished. But I am not a crafty gal and believe me I have tried. All manner of sewing, glueing, cutting, and I never finished one darn thing. I am too impatient for results and I lose interest quickly but I will spend hours and hours gift wrapping a gift...........so go figure.  But if I really was a clever crafty gal I think I would challenge myself with these beautiful jewelry boxes I found on Martha Stewart here with a full tutorial. I think they are quite lovely all nestled together. If you go at a nice leisurely pace, you have just about enough time to get this elegant set of velvet-lined keepsake boxes done for Mother's Day. You clever craft gals have my full admiration. And won't your mother be impressed?




photo via Martha Stewart Living.

The Golden Globes..............best dress awards according to me

Eva Longoria in a Zac Posen dress.............She is working her new single status don't you think? Darn right.

Ok, between you and me I think Scarlet Johansson looks much better as a blonde and could attempt a less-serious smile, but that sparkly Elie Saab dress was a perfect fit in my books.

TV correspondent Maria Menounos showed up some of the actresses in this perfect silhouette of pleated pink. I want this dress.

Hot mama! Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara always brings sexy and fun to any show. And it's not easy to bring sexy to Vera Wang. Elegant yes, but sexy no. But she did both beautifully.

The dress of course................ but that hair is perfect.
Who is this woman?
* The woman is Juliette Hough, dancer and former winner on Dancing with the Stars and girlfriend of Ryan Seacrest. 
Thanks readers!

For young actress Sarah Hyland of Modern family, I thought this Max Azria gown was sweet and sophisticated a the same time. The jewelry looks pretty good too.

Fits like a glove and Anne Hathaway may have singlehandly brought back shoulder pads in this backless Giorgio Armani Privé gown. She does have the height (and the back if you caught that view) to carry this off doesn't she?




Photos from InStyle 

A couple small addictions.....................

For the past few weeks while my new puppy Daisy was napping I would stay pretty close by her sleep quarters which is located during the day in our kitchen sitting where all the household activity takes place. So besides a surprise cooking and baking binge (much to the guys delight) I also got to know what people feel like when they have a online poker addiction. I became addicted, or perhaps I should say I became well-acquainted with the photo sharing site Pinterest. All in the interest of intense puppy-bonding and work inspiration of course. One of the things I learned about myself through blogging the past few years was how much I enjoy looking at photographic images. I know I am not alone in this visual pastime, photo sharing is the foundation of blogging. Without images, whether original or borrowed, most of us could never get a blog off the ground.

As you know, busy puppies nap quite a bit so I made a good dent last weekend in creating my Pinterest photo boards. I now have 14 categories and these images shown today are from the category that I titled Inspiration for Gift Wrapping, many of the images had me thinking " I would never have thought of that". This is a good thing, gets the gift wrapping mind working in all types of new directions.

It took me awhile to "take" to Pinterest, I couldn't quite get the drift so to speak. But once I did, I found I look forward to viewing new photo "pins" each day. In building your "boards" you simply "re-pin" a photo you like, the "pinning" in Pinterest. The site works as multiple inspiration boards and since each photo is linked you can always trace it back to the original post. Handy when it is a food shot and has a recipe attached or when you will use for a blog post and want to properly credit the source.

I am still figuring it the system out, apparently you don't "pin" your own photos but I got over-eager when I started and did in a board titled My Gift Wrap. I guess if you want to display your own photos you head over to Flickr or Tumblr. Finding new photos also leads to finding new blogs, new products, new Etsy shops, all sorts of inspiration. You can view my Pinterest boards here.

Speaking of puppies............Daisy and I are in a lovely groove and she is one behaved little lady. She is all paper trained, playing fetch, sits pretty, slept all night, loves to shop, and kisses us a million times a day. Too sweet and totally addictive.






Photo 1 to 4 via Pinterest/Bottom photo by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

meet dainty miss daisy

Our normally neat home has turned into puppy central. The floor is littered with puppy pads, chew toys, and carpet samples (so she exercises her little legs and doesn't slip and slide on our tile floors). I haven't had a full night sleep in a week, she drags my clothes all over the house, and loves tissue paper and sparkly shoes. We are smitten with dainty Daisy and her heart-shaped nose and everything about her. Our little Mi Ki is a loving, affectionate, calm, intelligent and sweet as can be, or was..................

......today marked the devilish day when Daisy decided to see exactly how tolerant and loving this new family of hers actually was.............. exploring past boundaries, stealing clothes, running in circles, hiding under chairs, dragging tissue paper, chewing Christmas tree branches, smelling dust balls, skipping naps, you name it and demon Daisy (as we called her today) tried it. In fact she was so mischievous she wore herself out. All of us I might add.

Then Daisy curled up in a snugly pose and fell fast asleep. 

Thank heaven for little puppies, especially when they go to sleep.

She is simply adorable even if I do say so myself.

All iphone photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

Really Sweet Things this week

I can never resist showing you any painting by Karen Appleton. Remember how excited I was the first time I ran across her gift wrapped creations painted with such passion and talent, how happy to find someone else who loves bows and ribbons? Doesn't this painting make you want to indulge in chocolate? Sweet Tooth is Karen's recent creation and her luscious chocolate bow isn't helping the sweet tooth that I re-developed over this past holiday. This chocolate "thing" has to end, specifically those Hello Dollies I make for my niece and brother each year (obviously some stayed here). Over the past 6 months I have lost 32 lbs. and the minute that scale moved up a few lbs. today I immediately did two things. Threw out those tasty temptations, then got my bike set up on blocks for indoor cycling. Which reminds me, I just happen to have some really sweet things to show you this week, a most extraordinary cake designer, and the sweetest little puppy ever. Miss Daisy is almost ready for her close-up. 






Photo of painting from Karen Appleton