Supercalifragilipstick.................pucker up red

I went hunting for all my red lipsticks today. I have always kept a nice supply of red lipstick ready for those evenings when I am feeling daring and in the need of one dramatic stroke. But if there is one thing I noticed this week, we are going to be reaching for the red lipstick this winter. It seems to be the Pucker Up colour of choice this season. I couldn't be happier, I love wearing red lipstick, it makes me feel quite daring, yet polished in a one-stroke way. This fabulous illustration from here.

While I was writing this post, up came an email from Kate Spade well not her directly or anything and there it was............red lipstick. Supercalifragilipstick in red, as in Kate Spade New York now sells lipstick. Even though I have deliberately downplayed my make-up recently into a more age-appropriate palette of more neutral shades and lighter application, all bets are off when it comes to red lipstick. While I was looking at this ad the top right corner to be specific,  it reminded me of two entertainment/Fashion critics talking about the pink-and-red Monique Lhuillier gown that Zooey Deschanel wore to the Emmy's this past week.

The two male critics were really dissing the red-pink colour (it's actually a coral ribbon) combination which stuck me as kind of odd especially these days when every conceivable colour, pattern and style goes together and considering she is what 20? I admit it isn't a conventional combination but then Zooey isn't know for being conventional and that seems to have worked out pretty good for her. I thought it suited her youthful personality, and isn't that the point? Everyone well women anyways know red and pink go together and not just in fashion.........gift wrapping too.

Wouldn't the Kate Spade lipsticks make for a wonderful stocking stuffer?
The perfect gift wrapping palette for a fashion gift. Really, the holiday season is not that far away. 

Tell me.........are you going to wear red lipstick this season?

Image 1, 2, 3 via In Style, 4 and 5 via Martha Stewart

Fashionista Bootie................with Coral

Even if you aren't playing along with me and cutting out Manolo Blahnik fashion images for gift wrapping, I should mention that the use of triple bows will always present a more visual gift package. Especially if they are moved over to the edge where they are least expected. That's the thing with gift wrapping......unexpected colour combinations, crazy patterns, more bows, odd embellishments, think outside the box so to speak and move things around a bit. Experiment. It makes the gift wrapping task more creative and fun for you and certainly for the recipient. You might not immediately think of bold coral ribbon with a pastel green paper but it works it is indeed a variation of the complementary colour scheme. The principle of more is better still works even if you use a narrow ribbon and even if you don't use the fabulous bootie drawings from the September Issue of Vogue. But I would cut it out just in case.........you might just need a a bit of more one gift wrapping day. Tell me, are you wrapping up anything special this week?










Photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

NY Fashion Week Gift Wrapping.............with Manolo Blahnik

It was probably our cold spell, but maybe the hefty September issue of Vogue that finally got me off the screened veranda "office" and back to my real office, the one where I actually gift wrap. There was a lovely surprise in the last few pages of Vogue that got me motivated to play around with a a pair of scissors, tape, gift wrap, and ribbon and I must thank the talented Manolo Blahnik for getting me out of my summer slouch and back where I should be once the calender turned to September. It isn't the first time that these talented drawings have inspired me, go here to see what became my first Fashionista gift wrapping, something fun and frivolous for my fashionable friends. See........  having fun with gift wrapping can be as simple as buying Vogue. This Peep Toe Slouched Wedge Bootie the real one here inspired a few gift wrapping colour directions and I will post them as NY Fashion Week 2011 unfolds...............I am bound to be inspired in more ways than one because I really do need more than a stylish pair of slouchy boots. 












Photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

wake up...........time to Roost

Her name is Caitlin, but you can call her Coco. I like the name Coco and I really, really like her blog Roost and I wanted to make sure you know about it. Least of all, she caught my attention for wrapping up healthy fruit leathers in such a charming gift way as I was just talking about simple, heartfelt gifts in a post here. But mostly I want you to know Coco for what she is doing which is sharing her recipe journey as she adapts to a new way of thinking and cooking in order to reverse the symptoms of her husband's Crohn's disease and she has been successful. If you or someone you love suffers from auto immune disorders such as Crohn's, colitis, IBS, or celiac disease you are well familiar with restricted diets and the connection between certain foods and auto immune illnesses. You have probably read just about everything. What I find so encouraging about the blog Roost is how Coco makes the dietary restrictions so deliciously appealing..............even if you are not looking to totally change to a grain-free lifestyle but make some healthy changes. Roost is full of gorgeous food images photographed by Coco herself she is also a graphic designer who designs blog banners and it is such a warm place to learn a thing or two.

Objects of Desire here

All images from Roost

hello sunshine................where did you go?

Have you noticed we are all a bit more impatient for sunshine this year? Or more specifically bright and beautiful yellow? As I was working on this post this morning, I noticed more than a few blogs showing yellow and I had to chuckle...............seems we are collectively craving some sunshine. Hello sunshine, but where did you go? Until it comes back...........some bright and beautiful yellow, and other colours too.

Ahhhhhh....................I feel better now. 

A sunny welcome to new followers and readers this week.

You make my world much brighter.

Kate Spade Image 1 and 3 by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life/Image 2 via Flickr/Image 4 by Justina Blakeney of Compaiblog/Image 5 via Pinterest

A surprise birthday wish..............for who?

Wishing a lovely friend a year of beautiful things and........

may the next year be layered in beauty...............xoxo

Go here to surprise our stylish blogger friend

with gorgeous birthday wishes.

Photo 1 from This Is Glamorous. Photo 5 from Slim Paley . Remaining photos via Pinterest.

Some days I get gorgeous gifts too...............

I totally get how people feel when they receive a beautifully gift wrapped package. I like to wait hours to prolong the pleasure of unwrapping something so thoughtfully created and so I did. When I received my recent Etsy order from Mandy at A La Parisienne and finally opened the box ........oh, my goodness, a peacock feather. How gorgeous! Such a fabulous embellishment.........wouldn't we have fun gift wrapping together? 

One of Mandy's feminine note cards from her Etsy shop in the background. Simple white paper but so striking with green ribbon and the hounds tooth pattern. The same colour scheme, but each package styled differently. Doesn't Mandy prove my that gift wrapping point I am always trying to make? It's not what you use, it's how you use it. Though the peacock feather is most special I must say.

Mandy used hounds tooth tissue paper to make these scalloped cut-outs and layered them into a petite embellishment. She sent me some extra so I could experiment with them, I can't quite think how I could do this any better.

Something extra as well from my fellow blogger friend.........a thoughtful trio of her own Joyeux Noel photo postcards. I like the idea of sending these out soon, a bit of holiday beauty landing in some one's mailbox.

Mandy has many beautiful things at her Etsy shop, always something new and clever. She recently introduced these genuine vintage fur collars and they reminded me of a stylish Parisian lady I saw in a Paris restaurant. My sister-in-law came back from the toilettes and said you have to go to the toilettes right now so you won't miss the lady in the corner table. You have to see this now. Wearing an elegant fur stole over a simple silk sheath, sparkly but discreet earrings, a wispy chignon, red lipstick, and sitting at the table with very erect posture, the elderly Parisian lady (with a bit of a Grey Garden look) owned the table that summer evening with her chic ensemble. I wanted to sit down at that table, ask her to tell me her story, I know she would have had a really good one. Doesn't everyone?

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I adore my new (but vintage) fur collar from talented Mandy, it adds something to every outfit. I think I must wear it next weekend, the sooner the better. Sit up straighter, wear some red lipstick.........make up a chic little fashion story of my own.

All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

Bottom Photo via A La Parisienne-Etsy

Sweet Pea and Grosgrain

Officially, this is my 200th post but don't tell anyone because I do want the post to be a bit more special and include a May Giveaway. Maybe something thoughtful and profound. And so this is my unofficial 200th post as sometimes life gets in the way and even blogging goes on hold. The official 200th post will be sometime in the next week, as soon as we see our Dad through a major and unexpected spinal surgery tomorrow. Before I left for the hospital this afternoon I had to get a few orders wrapped and delivered and thought I would show you one.......I call it Sweet Pea.

I know you rarely see me gift wrap in what is referred to as a monochromatic color scheme. Nor do you often see me use grosgrain ribbon as I certainly favour double faced satins for the most part. I actually do enjoy working with grosgrain, it can be simple but striking. I will try some other variations in grosgrain ribbon in upcoming posts. It is an easy ribbon for most to use, it always ties easily, makes for a crisp, neat bow and is one of the most affordable ribbons.You can't ask for too much more than that from any ribbon.

What you have heard me talk about multiple times is the use of offcuts, those leftover strips of wrapping paper that are generally long and narrow. If you look closely you will see that I used an offcut as a wide folded strip over the gift wrap for dimension and as a guide for placing my three lengths of 1" grosgrain ribbon. The offcut is taped to the bottom (with double-sided tape so nothing is visible) and also works nicely to hide the folded sides. I simply brought the ribbon under the offcut strip and positioned the trio of grosgrain bows, one on top, two to the bottom. You could do any variation you like depending on the size of the package. This was a fairly large box so using three lengths seemed to enhance the presentation because I was using narrow ribbon. Gift wrapping is all about proportion, just like home design. Then again, sometimes rules can be broken and isn't that the fun of it?

It is official, I love the name Sweet Pea. This was a gift for someone so I do look to add something cheery and pretty. I thought this die-cut card was lovely with this green gift wrap presentation, but then made a inside copy error in my rush. But as you know, I will simply cut the image off and save it for another time as a gift card. There is a few other card variations I will attempt in upcoming posts. I have a rather long and interesting list of gift wrap techniques to challenge myself with shortly so the upcoming gift wrapping posts look to be quite creative and hopefully inspirational. Many have asked me to resume my Gift Wrap 101 tutorials and they will be coming back, along with the Small Comfort Series.

And just so you don't think I have totally lost my mind by leaving out embellishments of some nature. I added these petite white flowers to see which style you preferred. Feel free to tell me your preference. Maybe all this time you would have preferred more monochromatic gift wrapping. And to the lovely follower who emailed me in the last week asking for help in selecting and buying good ribbon, I will be emailing you back with some suggestions as soon as this hectic week is over.


My blog posts may be sparse over the next week though sometimes blogging can be a nice stress-release break between hospital breaks, so who knows which way it will go. Thank you in advance for your patience and see you soon. I hope you will look forward to my official 200th  post and the May Giveaway celebrating this blog milestone. A most grateful welcome to New Followers and I am honored that you have joined me here at A Gift Wrapped Life.



All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

Simple Mothers Day Gift Wrap

Tomorrow is Tax Day here in Canada and our sons birthday so a quick post today but one to remember for a simple but touching Mothers Day gift wrapping idea that I had in my file from Martha Stewart. Mom will love this idea, a gift wrapped with photos of her favorite children or grandchildren.........she is going to get all teary eyed when you pass along your love with this idea. Just remember the cut ends of the ribbon go under the photo so the bottom stays nice and flat.

Photo from Martha Stewart

Mally Bibs...........a 'green" baby gift wrapped in red

"Can you make the gift look kind of Canadian Mom?" Oh, and I am leaving in an hour. Well yes..... but can I put a yellow duckie on it so it somewhat looks like a baby gift and not a box of maple syrup? My son loves theme gifts, babies, and his country so when he and his rotation partner wanted to give their US attending resident (eg. boss) a baby gift they wanted Canada written all over it. My son's partner found the Canada theme bib online which I thought was very resourceful of her and then they had me add in a few more things. Sophie the giraffe, the french teething sensation is peeking out of the box too. And yes, it is handy having a mother who can gift wrap at short notice.

I will admit when I first saw this leather bib with the Canadian maple leaf all over it, I wasn't overly excited. I love my country, the maple leaf emblem not so much. Then as I was wrapping I started to read the promotion material from Mally Bib that was tucked into the rear pocket and then this forgetful mature mother started to see the benefit.... it is actually a clever baby gift with some good practical sense. First and foremost, it is a soft 100% baby-safe biodegradable leather (it is beautifully soft) on both sides so it is wipeable instead of machine-washable which saves on laundry (water, electricity and detergent) and will protect those cute little outfits for a long time as a "green" bib choice. Secondly, the age-adjustable clasp is magnetized which makes it remarkably easy to take on and off, not to mention you can just stick it on the fridge for handy storage. Now that makes sense to me.

Mally Bibs was founded by Nicole Garza, a young mother of two and the handmade bibs are manufactured in British Columbia, Canada but these popular bibs ship all over the world. Canadian and US orders ship through Canada and international orders are handled by a European distributor to cut down on delivery times and shipping costs. There is a handy spill-pocket on the rear (or for a stash of cheerio snacks) that can be personalized in leather with the child's name. They feature a large variety of bib images such as planes, animals and cute little insects and they have a custom department as well. Maybe someday, I will order one with a little stethoscope? I am just saying......one day.

Of course there is a US version too, we are neighbors after all. Mally Bibs also has a Etsy shop under the name Mally Designs where they reuse and recycle any leather cuts into new product introductions. I am also going to state that Mally Bibs are much nicer "in person" than they show photographically. You know how picky I am about gifts. The more you look at the idea and the more you think about it, the more you may think like I did.........these just make sense and a great gift. I am off to order a few right now.





Photo 2 and 3 by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life/All other photographs used with permission from Mally Bibs

Baby Bunny and Uggs

I have noticed that plenty of expectant mothers are keeping the baby gender a surprise or secret these days. That means no pink and no blue. Since elegant babies and subdued ivory just seem to go together that was what I searched for when I recently went hunting for a special baby shower gift. Is there anything more fun than shopping for a baby gift? When I found this incredibly plush bunny rabbit and then found the ivory cashmere blanket I was more than happy, heck....I wanted to keep them for myself. I could use a luxurious cuddle now and again too. When I found the baby Uggs I just couldn't resist adding them though they are more than wonderful as a single gift. Rather than wrap up each item individually as I normally do I set up all the items on a cushion of tissue paper. I wanted the mother-to-be to open the box and have Mr. Bunny sitting up waiting for the new baby to arrive with all the baby goodies surrounding him. When I got home I added in a copy of The Tales of the Floopsy Bunny and a set of unisex burp cloths.

The sweetest lamb is on the cover of these blank cards that can also be used as a shower invite. I keep a good stash of these blank cards and use them for any baby-related occasion. If it was a birth I might hand write ~Welcome to the World ~ on the front. This precious lamb even has a little die cut bell on his (or her) ribboned neck. That my card stash matched my ivory-toned gift was just plain luck. I think I am going to do this all-ivory theme for future baby gifts.

This was one big ivory store box that I really didn't think needed any gift wrap paper and as you know I don't think that way too often. A bit of unisex green striped ribbon and this special delivery was good to go.

These baby Uggs are simply the most adorable gift.

Keep these in mind for the next baby gift.

I wonder if it will be a little girl or a little boy who will be wearing these soon?

*Just to clarify the price of the Ugg Erin baby booties as a reader comment suggested they were $100.00. The Uggs shown are called Erin baby booties and the colour is chestnut. The retail price is $50.00 US and can be ordered online in from the UggAustralia (click here) US website.

Speaking of bunnies, I hope you enjoy a delicious chocolate one this weekend.

Happy Easter!

All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life