Back in Order with a Chic Room

I didn't exactly intend on not blogging last week after my Blog Anniversary post, it just happened that way. I swear I don't know where this winter has gone, not so bad to a person who finds winter long and dreary. The steady stream of workers who were putting my studio and office back into order from that ill-timed flood last December have finally left and I must say, I want to kiss my new surroundings. While we were at it, I figured I might as well purge, re-organize, and re-think the space. I now have a Chic Room as I call it and why didn't I do this before? Because it is so much work? But boy was it worth it! Now I can gift wrap, process orders, photograph, have classes, listen to music, watch a movie, lounge, read, chat, nap, blog, eat, yoga (?) and just claimed a whole part of the house as a woman-only zone. My ribbons and gift wrap papers are lined up, scissors sharpened, inventory organized, and my head finally feels straight again. This creative person likes order more than you would think.

You may have noticed a distinct lack of gift wrap posts since the flood and for good reason as I was temporarily squeezed into my inventory storage area. Not exactly conductive to being creative. Now I am set up with a full photo area right across from where I wrap and I can change backgrounds, position lighting, so in other words I have no more excuses not to get back on track with plenty of gift wrapping posts. Not that any of you have said a word, you haven't but you have been saying lots of other wonderful things and I must say Thank You......for all the extraordinary comments on my recent giveaway, birthday and anniversary posts. You are truly the best readers and followers any blogger could want and I hope to make my way back over to you soon to say hello, to say thank you, from the comfort of my Chic Room of course.

Cards from ToykoMilk by Margot Elena

Gift Wrapping ~ Versailles style

Don't worry, just hold on to those scissors, the next Gift Wrap Lesson is coming up this week for those of you who are waiting to move on to Step 2. Sounds like many of you have stocked up on double-sided tape after Lesson One even if I do get in big trouble with 3M. I am sure 3M has a good double-sided tape. But just a small break here, something to motivate you before you progress to more practical concerns of how to cut and wrap paper (I know most of you already know how but are likely just indulging me). I just had to share one of the Wrap room gifts I did for a customer who wanted to give her friend a special birthday gift. Because the question often come up.........what do you get the woman who has everything? This Wrap Room idea might be just the thing, around here I refer to it as the gift that keeps on giving. Everybody has gift giving and every time she goes to wrap, she is going to mentally thank you.......... again and again.

If you have seen the new Wrap Room collection on my website, you know each presentation box is filled with wrapping supplies, gift wrap, ribbon, tissue paper, embellishments. But I realized you might not be seeing how this all looks when someone opens it up if you were giving it as a gift. I do have to say if something is this much fun to wrap, then it sure must be fun to open.........my intention when I created this concept. This is a new collection called Versailles which isn't on the website until next week but I couldn't wait to give you a sneak peek. The paper colours are intense and dramatic, red, orange and blue papers with a gilded damask pattern and the showstopper is the wide satin ribbons in equally bright colours that I had imprinted with Versailles in shiny gold. Purple satin ribbon on orange paper, hot pink on the blue, and regal red on red paper. Or any combination you like, that's the fun of this Versailles collection, I designed it so any paper and ribbon colour combination would work. I also wanted it to be a bit over-the-top, spectacular and drop dead gorgeous...............like I imagine Versailles was in it's stylish heyday with women dressed in gowns of high colour.

Customers can add extras, personal petite gifts from the Small Gifts & Embellishments section on the website that add to the fun of opening a Wrap Room gift. In this case it was a box of stationery note cards from France, extra spools of ribbon, Paris labels, and a MOR Lip Delight tied up in hand-dyed silk. The two tissue papers in this collection are chartreuse green and a vivid melon orange and I think the black and white stripe taffeta ribbon adds a fabulous finish. This new Versailles collection is the tabletop and demonstration pattern I am using in a upcoming event so you will soon see it's remarkable colour combinations.

Don't ask me what my favorite Wrap Room collection is.........I simply love them all. I just love the way they all look different and everyone can have their own little Wrap Room in a box. It does appear that women love the elegance and subdued glamour of the Paris Pink as shown above. An early order favorite and rightfully so..........feminine but sophisticated. Next up on the style board are Wrap Room collections that hit a more modern note. Modern sounds simpler doesn't it? Not so simple.......it will be my biggest gift wrapping challenge yet. Restraint is always more difficult don't you think?

All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

The week that got away..........

It isn't that I haven't been thinking of you...........just had one of those weeks where it got away from me. Along with busily shipping out new Wrap Room gift wrap sets (so fun to package up), I was working on a floor that we weren't sure wasn't going to heave apart. My studio has a dyed radiant-heated concrete floor (toasty in the winter) and runs under the entire 120' length of our house. It became a mystery over the past few weeks as it turned darker, the darker that comes from water leaking everywhere.Ohdear........the lawyer was here, the engineer was here, and through a bit of deducing the potentially serious problem was solved. The good news is our house will remain standing, I don't have to move my business, and I will be toasty warm again this winter. I am also doing my first Gift Wrap presentation for a lovely group of women at an event at the end of the month and trying to get organized to inspire some gift wrap beauty. I am also doing "Gift Wrapped" centerpieces for the tables (which I will show you when they are done) which I hope to finish off when we return from an out-of-town wedding on Sunday. So it wasn't that I wasn't thinking of you............it just was one of those weeks! I do have a good blog post list going so I do plan on being up to speed on gift wrap posts next week.
A heartfelt thank you to all the readers who commented with their good wishes and congratulations to our son's recent good news. It was wonderful for him to read all your good wishes. Have a great weekend........I get to dress up for a wedding tonight!



Photo by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life.

See you Monday......maybe

Photo by Sandra Lane

Heading out to see some friends for a few days who live in a beautiful lakeside house in Port Lambton with a relaxing cottage vibe. Looking forward to bringing my great-nephew (my honourary grandson so to speak), morning coffee on their dock, a leisurely boat stroll, and seeing their fabulous garden. We have a Monday holiday here in Canada so everyone is already packing up and taking off somewhere, our last summer chance. Hope you all have a relaxing summer weekend and don't forget to post a comment for the Thank You Giveaway from the previous post.......it's a good one and three of you will a new Wrap Room ensemble. You really could win you know.

100 Posts and A Thank You Giveaway

A Gift Wrapped Life ~ Wrap Room Ensemble

As I told someone the other day........I love blogging. When I hit Publish Post on my first post in February, I knew it was going to open up a new world. I looked at it as a way to share some information and inspiration (I had hoped) about a subject I have become passionate about........beautiful and special gifting for women. What I failed to know on that first day was that I would be the one receiving the gifts. For the past 99 posts you have given me the gift of immense support, you have read, listened, commented, called and emailed. You have become followers, friends, cheerleaders, customers, and the most incredible support system I have ever seen. I need to thank you for all your wonderful support over the past 99 posts and the most heartwarming comments to me and my family in my last post. It's the perfect time for a Gorgeous Giveaway.

A Gift Wrapped Life ~ Wrap Room Ensemble

A Thank You Giveaway! Three of you are going to receive a gorgeous Wrap Room gift from my new website A Gift Wrapped Life. A special preview just for my blog readers. I tried to time it so the website was live by the time I posted my 100th post, but we are still a week away from it's official launch and I don't want to wait any longer to thank you in the best way I know how.........by wrapping up and sending a box of gorgeous. I was actually guilty of stalling a bit, the reason you haven't seen a post the past 10 days. To enter all you have to do is comment on this Giveaway post. If you are a follower or subscriber tell me, you will get 2 entries (this includes new followers so sign up). Mention This Giveaway on your blog and I will give you 2 extra entries (just let me know). Now let me tell you what's in this box of Wrap Room gorgeous.

The Wrap room section of our new gift website will have 18 different styles of Gift Wrap ensembles, with new styles being added as we go. This one pictured is Paris Bird. They are shipped in the presentation boxes as seen in the top 2 photos. Each Wrap Room box is lined with pleated tissue and holds an array of gift wrap paper, ribbon, tissue paper, enough supplies to wrap 4-6 large gifts or up to 16 smaller gifts and range in price from $39.00 to $79.00. The little takeaway boxes are where we put the generous ribbon lengths that match your gift wrap paper. I've done all the ribbon and paper matching for each of the 18 styles so you can mix and match and always be prepared to stylishly wrap a lovely gift. Depending on the price, some of the ensembles include embellishments (the wired paper flowers, the Paris labels) or they can be added as an extra to the basic ensemble. If you love gift wrapping, this will be your own personal version of gift wrap heaven. I have designed this section so that anyone who can tie a bow (or even a knot) or use a piece of tape can wrap beautifully. Our embellished presentation box is lovely to open and perfect for storing your wrapping supplies. My intention was to give you the same feeling as opening a dozen roses.........something beautiful and special just for you. My hope is that you will enjoy the pleasure of wrapping beautifully and pass along the special feeling that comes with giving a beautifully wrapped gift.



Along with sending the Wrap Room Boxed Ensemble I will be adding in a few of our Small Gifts, some extra petite pleasures to the Giveaway winners. I will do the giveaway the same day the new website goes live and then you can go on the site and pick the Wrap Room style your prefer. That gives you about 7-10 days to do your comment or add yourself to the blog followers (remember to tell me in your comment if you are already a follower or a new one). In the week ahead I will tell you what you can expect on this blog in the upcoming months.............. lots of new ideas to share. In the meantime ~ Thank you again, you have truly made my life gift wrapped in the most beautiful way.


All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

A Girly Week of Wrapping

There must have been some girly-girl vibe in the air this week. I swear I am not influencing anybody when they call to place an order, but this has been an overwhelming week of orders where the request is "make it pretty" and "she loves pink". Girls love to gift their friends and when they do they don't want just a gift, they want a "gift". I love that about women, they understand that for the gentle gender the presentation is a good part of the gift, the admiring, the wait, the slow unwrapping, the multiple treasures just for her, and the re-wrapping so they can do it all again. The specialness of it all.

This portfolio presentation made it's beribboned way out the door in many variations this week. I love using these portfolio boxes. When they open the lid, all their gift items are sitting there in a layered fashion and the box becomes such practical and lovely storage. I try to vary the gift wrapping on each item so that there is a visual treat of patterns, ribbons, and colours. This engagement ensemble included some special glamour keepsakes, a collection of the Lady Primrose Bath Decanters, Crystal Tray, and Crystal Powder Puff Dish. The sparkly crystal band on the decanters gives these gorgeous products their keepsake status. One of the new Boxed ensembles on the website set to launch next week. And you are wondering what's taking so long? Me too......but I'm trying to be really sweet to my webmaster who is busy entering all this descriptive data. I am sure he is wishing this girly girl would stop sending more photos.

The same portfolio box but with white flowers. This ensemble included Paris Pink File Folders, Paris notebook, a good fiction read, a Paris bookmark, a luscious scented soap, some yummy Lip Silk, and more ribbon yardage than I care to know. Often my regular customers just tell me to wrap in any style I think best and I try to get feeling for the recipient. If they are more modern, I adjust with less ribbon and more layered ribbon applications.

This Lady Primrose pedestal candle with it's beautiful crystal band is one of my favorite gifts. It's a new petite boxed gift on the upcoming website shown with our Crystal key chain. Probably one of the most special candles and I like that it makes for a glamorous pencil holder when the candle is finished. I know because that's what I've been using it for and it looks fabulous. The crystal key chain is another affordable favorite around here and it will also be in our Small Gift section. It makes finding your purse keys easy and at $10.00 a little sparkly glitz is always a good thing. I send it with a length of gorgeous satin ribbon tied around it loop.

Our Bonjour in Celadon and Pink Paris Rubber Stamp Kit also had a popular week. In between doing orders I'm working with both sets to show a solid pastel-colored gift wrap done with these stamps. One of our new gift wrap ensembles that has plenty of creative possibilities. I always send a handful of matching solid card stock along with the stamp sets so they have something to fancy stamp right away. They make for lovely gift tags.

All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

Blogger Break & Sneak Peek

Did you miss me this week? It's the end of a long day, website design is in place (but not up yet)and I adore it. Now comes the fun part. Matching up gift wrap patterns with ribbon, tag, and embellishments for The Wrap Room. My intention of opening A Gift Wrapped Life is to offer anyone a complete gift wrap ensemble (gift wrap/ribbons/tissue/tags/embellishments/silk and paper flowers) so all the work is done for you. A gorgeous, tasteful variety to cover any gift in gorgeous splendor. As you know by now, you really can't wrap badly if you have the right materials at hand. No more running out at the last minute and settling for anything. Well ladies, the right materials and 24 unique collections are on their way. The gift wrapping impaired will be able to suddenly dazzle everyone with their creative presentation. and I can tell you this....... it makes for the most wonderful gift for any woman. You'll see.

I thought I would give you a small showing of some of your new gift wrap patterns. These two bright beauties are going to be in the Versailles Collection

The Eiffel Tower in Hot Pink and Black.Tres chic and this is going to be so much fun to wrap.

Something a bit bolder and I think I will add a series of ribbons with this one.

Bright yellow, Hot pink, and Kelly Green.

Here's a hanging ladder sample of new gift wrap on it's way. I am mixing these up with others for a variety package. You know how I love mixing up patterns in wrapping. Love the Blue Greek key pattern.

~ The Bergere Collection ~

More Eiffel Tower pattern in a feminine Paris pattern. Fabulous for a birthday(all girly ages), wedding shower, or for anyone who loves Paris and that whole Marie Antoinette look.
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I will show you our gorgeous Versailles gilt collection next week, wait to you see the gorgeous ribbon idea we came up for this series. Our linen fabric wraps are being made and Exquisite Paper Flowers in larger sizes are on their way. This one will be like the icing on the cake.

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Thank you for all your lovely support and comments this week!

All photos from A Gift Wrapped Life ~ Oooh la la Cadeau product sources