Vintage Glam and a Wrapping Technique for Guy Gifts

I love how these rust and pink tones are used together in this Vintage Glam setting found at Southern Accents. I kept returning to this photo and wondered how I could combine these tones in a gift presentation. It intrigued me and you know how I love these gift wrap challenges I set up for myself. I don't have every paper and ribbon at my disposal so sometimes I do have to improvise. Perfection would have been a gold and matte silver flocked type of paper (which I do not have) but as I worked with this matte burnished gold gift wrap I saw that it needed a bit more glam and it worked into a good little gift wrap tip, something to do with those leftover paper strips left over from wrapping smaller boxes. Do not be throwing those away.




I often use my leftover gift wrap strips to do this layered effect. One I like to use them up wherever I can and in this case it added a bit more gilt. I also think layering paper adds some dimension to the presentation. Paper strip edges are neatly folded and then simply taped at the bottom with double sided tape. You don't have to be precise in measuring the strips, it could even work if they were of dissimilar width. This technique would also work well with bright colours such as Kelly green and hot pink, look around, bet you have some sheet paper and strips that can be used together.




While I was in the layering mood, I knew the only way I was going to get these two unlikely colour tones together was to layer the rust and pink ribbons and work within the existing paper strips. It was either going to work or look positively awful, I found I liked the combination and kept going. Again, ribbon is simply double-sided taped to the bottom, just keep all the edges lined up nice and neat. The gift could be complete at this point, it certainly could go out the door at this point. This is a great gift wrapping technique for a male-gender gift, minus the pink ribbon of course. Change the pink to a chocolate brown or black and it turns it's feminine direction real quick. Guys get funny when they open a gift with a bow, they actually blush if you ever noticed.




Ok, we're done with the guy wrapping (that was quick!) and there is a pale pink flower in the photo so on goes a silk peony. I have this crinkle ribbon that I have been wanting to play with so I wrapped a continuous length around the flower, almost making a ribboned nest. Again, just to give it a bit more dimension. Sometimes I go too far with my experimenting and have to remove something, today it was a large bow to the rear of the flower, it was simply too overdone with all those ribbon layers.

Here is another pale pink leaf ribbon that I adore. It doesn't take to tying well as the little leaves get tangled and break but it does look good laying flat or used as a dangling length. Check in next week......I'm actually going to do some "Guy Wrapping" for Father's Day. No promises, but I will try some blush-free techniques.

Top photo from Southern Accents/Remaining photos from Sande Chase ~ Oooh la la Cadeau

A Zest of Lemon

Something about this yellow and amber kitchen shot from House Beautiful (yes, this magazine is getting better and better) made me want to see if I could capture the sunny vibe in a little gift package. That gorgeous marble counter top reminded me of the marble-look wallpaper I found a few weeks back when I was cleaning that bountiful storage room of mine. Yellow is a uplifting colour, but too much and it can get too cute (maybe why it works so well with black) so I thought the taupe marble background toned down it's sunny disposition just a notch. I will do a full-powered all yellow one coming up in a future post.......just because I do like to prove myself wrong now and again (before someone else does it for me).

Look what else I found.....fake lemons and lemon leaves.

This is the one I started with but something was too-cute, maybe something to do with carnations. So off came the little flowers and one strip of the yellow grosgrain ribbon and in went the lemons. I like the green foliage with the top one much better. I've left this try-out shot in as it shows the marble-look wallpaper a bit better than the top photo. You will see lots of this cotton striped ribbon on the website, in lots of colours. I love the visual impact, the affordable price and the way it holds a bow, nice and crisp just like a cotton shirt.

If I had an all-white kitchen I would running out right now to add some exuberant doses of this sunny hue. So vibrant, so summer. I feel like making lemonade. Actually, my kitchen wallpaper is the colour of those tulips, it's a golden yellowand black toile pattern and I never get tired of it. No wonder this kitchen caught my eye.

Top and Bottom photo from House Beautiful/2nd and 3rd photo by Sande Chase ~ Oooh la la Cadeau

Petite Laduree Box Re-Gift

If you are lucky enough to receive a macaron-filled Ladree box, you likely aren't going to re-gift the box but keep it for yourself. I know that, but in my case it was fun to try. I am pretty shameless about asking whoever is going to Paris to bring me back a few boxes, so I had a fabulous macaron delivery last month. Since then, these petite boxes in Laduree's striking new patterns have been sitting on my desk saying " I dare you to re-gift me!"

Once the macarons are gone, these gorgeous petite boxes would be so lovely to pass along to a special friend with a little gift inside, a bar of perfumed soap, a little candle, or lipstick and nail polish in a colour she would love to try, something thoughtful and pretty. You know, on those days when you are feeling really generous and will actually share your pretty boxes! On this first one, I wanted to show the gold embossed oval pattern that surrounds the Laduree logo so I punched a hole in the lid (yes, right through the logo), knotted the ribbon on the lid underside and pulled the duplex (2 colour) ribbon through into two loops and then held it into position with a rhinestone ring. It was that easy, so easy I can't believe I haven't thought of it before. As long as the ribbon is the same width or wider than the ring, it will hold. Keep in mind you could do this with any flat napkin ring, round, oval, or square as I showed you a few weeks back. There are some interesting textures and colours that could be used in gift wrapping. Just another option instead of a traditional bow. Laduree is well-known for their pastel packaging palette so I wanted to enhance it's feminine nature with the sparkly rhinestones. Something gold to match the embossing would work nicely too, but now that I see it I do like some sparkle on this Laduree re-gift.

For the second, more dramatic purple and black palette I had no choice but to rely on my Paris labels to cover the logo and oval outline. A girl has to do what a girl has to do. I would normally fill in the label with the recipients name but I may want to use this one for some personal gifting coming up. Surprisingly, neither box took to my wider ribbons, I tried and it just overwhelmed the pretty pattern. A dainty duplex purple ribbon tied into a bow on all four sides seemed to do the job. With this method, the recipient doesn't have to untie any ribbons (as I know women have a love/hate relationship with untying pretty ribbons) just lift off the lid to see whatever little treasure you have placed inside. Actually, both styles work that way.

All photos by Sande Chase ~ Oooh la la Cadeau

Cheating on Glam Monday

This is so not me.

Instead of working on a Glam Monday post, I am walking a golf course in King City outside of Toronto where my husband is representing our local golf course in a tournament. Both my husband and son are exceptional golfers and athletes, our son played professional golf for a few years until he decided it was a exceptionally lonely life and he is an exceptionally social person. I often tell my husband he should have married an athletic woman, I am hopelessly uncoordinated and is has come to pass that people even apologize when talking about sports around me. Sad to say, but it is that physically obvious that I cannot partake of any sports activity or conversation (except cycling, but that was very late in life). But it could be that for a sport-lovin guy I would be the perfect wife. I am really, really good at keeping myself busy with all sorts of creative pursuits. This means I never even notice that he has watched golf/hockey/football/ for hours on end. Clever guy .......I think he knew this from the get-go.

While I am walking the course on what is supposed to be Glam Monday, I thought I should at least leave you some pretty things to look at for the beginning of the week. Hey, one thing I do know is that you can't wear kitten heels on the course, give me some credit! If you go over to House Beautiful, there is a little series {photos and video}about using everyday containers for this year's bounty of fresh-cut flowers by HB floral designer Robert Rufino. I actually have a container just like the trumpet shaped tole vase above but not these gorgeous Sweet Peas which I will surely plant this week. It's just a seasonal reminder to look around and use what is available. Point well taken. No Sweet Peas, but I do have pink and white Peonies blooming all over the place right now. Every year I forget to buy peony cages so they are abundantly leaning to the ground once again. Rufino recommends putting these extravagant bloom in a smaller mug. All those colours and pattern do enhance the vivid pink much better than a clear vase. I don't have a Coronation Mug (even though we do have a Queen) as I always thought they were tourist-tacky. Guess I was wrong again.

Rufino uses only four Hydrangeas in this footed bowl. He recommends you place three stems standing straight (in different stem lengths), then the fourth stem on an angle for height and dimension. I think he is making it sound easier then it is, but I am willing to try his method and see if mine will look like this.

Here is a simpler Coronation mug with softly-tinted Bridal Blush roses.

Gorgeous sitting on a desk.

I have a friend who is mad for Magnolias and their sweet fragrance. She does exactly this, floats the delicate beauties in a clear bath. Nothing more is needed.

Top photo from Vogue Archives/remaining photos from House Beautiful.

Mix Those Colours

One blogger sent her other blogger friend a lovely little birthday surprise. Nice for me that I can do a bit of blogger research and "gather" the personality of the recipient before I wrap. I could see this artist blogger loved colour so the brighter the better. This is the photo that I send to the gifter so she can share in the fun of her long-distance gift and it got me thinking of something to think about the next time you wrap. Not every little gift has to match. In fact, the more you mix it up with paper patterns and ribbon, the more fun the presentation. I have four blue ribbons (turquoise, royal, and checks) and three different green ribbons (chartreuse, kelly, and forest green). I've used two different gift wrap papers that you wouldn't put side-by-side and think they match, but it distinquishes each gift. Even if you do use the same gift wrap paper, consider changing the ribbons around so that each gift has it's own presentation personality. Just makes it more fun to open.

A gorgeous soap gets ribbon-wrapped in two colours of hand-dyed silk.

I have come to love this Blue Bird gift wrap paper the more I work with it. That is often the case, like many things it just takes time to reveal it's better nature. This soft green background can handle any colour direction of ribbon and as I write this I see another colour I want to try..........right now. This is one of the Wrap Room papers you'll be able to buy. You'll have lovely ribbon choices and embellishments too. Like little bird nests.

I found a little teal bird all dressed up in velvet last weekend when I was cleaning my storage room and it chirped to my attention today. I had intended on trying a brown ribbon but it looked a bit dull to tell you the truth, so teal it became along with a teal sheer ribbon working as it's nest. I think this bird is a little overdressed for the paper, but this type of experimenting tells me that the embellishment will work, it just needs to dress down a bit...... perhaps a little brown bird sitting in a nest? Yes, that's it.

This lovely gift wrap paper image is also available as a File Folder Set and a Notebook.

Such a pretty pattern to make desk chores more uplifting.

All photos by Sande Chase ~ Oooh la la Cadeau

Virginia Johnson & Kate Spade

You had to know I would love this illustration by Canadian illustrator Virginia Johnson. This is me and my life right here in one drawing! I have had this in my photo file for a few months and meant to add it into my Kate Spade regift post last week. A Canadian artist who did artwork for Kate Spade... I couldn't be more proud! I have admired her illustrations for quite some time and had bought the Kate Spade style book series a few years back as gifts but never put the two together until recently.

You may remember the KS three-books series Manners, Style, and Occasions in Red, Green, and Blue covers. I must have gifted the other two, but I still have my copy of Manners. Lucky thing, I just spoke to them and the charming books are now discontinued which makes me happy that I kept one copy at least. The illustrations by Virginia Johnson were a good part of the charm of these unpretentious quides to social graces in this modern time. I had to pass on this quote from Andy Spade in the Gifts, Gifting, Re-Gifting section of Manners.

"Re-Gifting is an artform. But beware: If you re-gift to others, they may re-gift unto you"

I plan to talk about the delicate artform of re-gifting in an upcoming post. You had to know I was going to talk about this sooner or later, didn't you?

So beautifully and simply rendered.

As captioned in Manners ~ In a Museum Solo Viewing is Bliss
I love how this is illustrated with her head turned just slightly.

Elements of delicate style.

Even from the neck down, you can still
imagine the conversation.
("Darn.....she wore the same shoe colour")

According to her website, the Canadian Toronto-based designer still does illustrations but is better known as being a textile designer who now sells to stores such as Kate Spade and Barneys. She has the most fabulous shawls on her website {click here}.

All illustrations from Virginia Johnson/Photo 2 by Sande Chase

Birk's Box Re-Gift

You know how my wrapping inspiration goes by now........I love this room by designer Alison Caccoma who's gorgeous work I found one day browsing the House Beautiful website. I wanted to capture the sumptuous feel of that velvet pillow and colour scheme. For Canadians, the blue store box shown below is our version of a Tiffany box, or was, we do have Tiffany here in Canada now too. It's not the exact blue, a tad less lively but the same message......something lovely inside. A friend gave me a gorgeous sterling double photo frame for photos of my two "boys" and I thought I should try a re-gift on our Canadian blue box.


The silver Birks box logo is quite small so a 2" wide double face satin taped to the lid underside covers it nicely. I layered it with a turquoise grosgrain ribbon just to give this monochromatic colour scheme a bit of dimension. If a store box has a extended lid as seen here, it can be awkward wrapping in gift wrap paper. You just aren't going to get nice crisp corners, best to bypass the paper and just work with the box colour. If the box is a good colour, you don't always need gift wrap too. PS. I don't know why lately I am getting this peach tint on my photo background, but working on upgrading my skills. It's on the list.

There is actually two layers of thin velvet ribbon at the bow. Because velvet ribbon is one-sided, it sometimes needs a bit more to better show it's colour and texture. There is one bottom bow, then a length knotted over the bow to give it some extra presence. This re-gift shows a very simple gift wrap technique that even the ribbon-impaired (not that there is anything wrong with that!) can do. It's also a nice way to use any lengths of satin that might not be long enough to wrap a whole box.

I order ribbon spools in 50 or 100 yards rolls as I go through it quite quickly. Right now I am working on selecting and coordinating my gift wrap papers and coordinating ribbon to be available in the new Wrap room section of my website along with a collection of my embellishments. Though I use 100 yards rolls, I am going to offer the ribbon spools in smaller spools (10 yards) so you can build up a nice gift wrap signature look of your own. I am also going to be running custom gift wrap papers with a distinct designer look. I think some of them will surprise you!

One more try............just wanted to see what happened if I added a pattern in the way of a small

turquoise taffeta check beside the velvet.

Top photo from House Beautiful/Middle and Bottom photo by Sande Chase ~ Oooh la la Cadeau

Glam Monday ~ Juicy Cantaloupe & Sweet Peaches

I would consider this youthful glam, someone has a juicy vibe going on here in this little desk corner photo I found at Domino on Flickr. No source but whoever it is, they have a really good eye for combining vibrant and luscious colour. I think I adore this cosy spot. I must....... I keep staring at it.

Sweet peaches, is there anything more summertime juicy? As soon as peach season starts, I get out my mom's pie crust recipe. It was always one of the easiest pies to make. I used to sit in the driveway while my son was playing and peel quarts of peaches for pie-making while keeping an eye on his antics. My neighbor would come over and keep me company. Those were the good old days for a lot of reasons, mostly because I could bake a pie and actually enjoy a couple guilt-free slices. Slightly warm with vanilla ice cream.....OMG. Image from Foodland Ontario.

These Louboutoin Dillian Flower Pumps were what started me on this melon and peach colour post. Look at the colour of this leather with his signature red soles! Melon, what some would also call peach or apricot looks fabulous with touches of coral or red. It's not an easy colour to find in fashion or interiors. Why is that? It is certainly a most luscious colour. It should make a comeback. Photo by Daniel Farmer at Flickr.

Cantaloupe , also generally referred to as musk melon (not to go into the botany of it all) has only 53 calories per cup and your full daily requirement of vitamin C. It's also an excellent source of Vitamin A and beta carotene. I grew up eating musk melon every summer. Truthfully, I ignore the winter imports, bland and tasteless by the time they get here to us. But in the summer season, I love thick juicy slices wrapped in proscuitto, that delicious combination of musk and salt. Can't wait.

I found this melon coloured bedroom over at Style Redux where she always captures the best interiors. Note the coral accent (again), nature has a way of telling us what will work when it comes to design. The colbalt blue gives it a unexpected and sassy jolt.

A gorgeous petal image from Flickr

A pink or peach tint gives all women a lovely glow, it's an old designer trick. I always use pink lightbulbs in my vanity area, I like to think it makes me look younger, at least while I'm putting on my makeup. Some day soon I will tell you about Pink Glow, my pink lightbulb charity idea for Women's Mental Health that got stopped in it's well-intentioned tracks. It was a great idea until the Canadian goverment banned incandescent bulbs. I still have the pink light bulbs and their very pretty box covers I spent a fortune designing and printing. An idea just sitting there. And it's driving me crazy. Photo from My Vintage Paris via Paris Atelier.

Look how melon just makes this room so warm and inviting. Now, picture this room with ivory or white slouchy sofas. Which do you prefer? Sometimes a fabulous colour will make all the difference. Image from Domino Files on Flickr.

Doesn't this just take your breath away? This densely packed bouquet by Rosenow is one of the loveliest I have ever seen. Beautiful Things To Share opened my eyes to this talented floral designer and I can't get enough of her incredible style. Or Charamine's beautiful blog.

By now you know I always borrow a dress or two from Judith at Paris Atelier for Glam Mondays. It's a habit I just can't break. It's like having a hip sister with really good taste and the coolest clothes. And she lets me borrow them every weekend.

A Chevron gilded gift wrap paper in a gorgeous melon tone that I found over at Carolyne Roehm. One of the few papers left on her website. When I tried to order what was left, the shopping cart kept closing. I know she is gone on to bigger and better things and is closing her website, but boy will I miss her presentation style. She is the "wrap goddess" and the only reason I haven't posted about her in-depth is that I knew there was a transition going on and not sure where it was leading. I would like to find out what she is up to these days. That level of creativity just can't quit, so she must have something very clever up her stylish sleeve. I should call her and catch up. Dare me?

Remember this Carolyne Roehm giftwrap image? The first time I saw this years ago in her book Presentations, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. My heaven is obviously filled with ribbons, boxes, and bows. And couture, lots and lots of it, everywhere I look. I bet there is lots of gift-giving up there. Or at least I hope so.

If I was being really picky, I would call this gorgeous wall colour apricot.
The table and chairs aren't doing it for me, but look at that ceiling height and mouldings.

A table setting by Carolyn Roehme. No one does it better.

I think everyone should have an outdoor tent, especially when it has these melon coloured drapes blowing in the wind. I know everyone has already seen this Domino image, but it was too perfect not to include in this post about all things melon. Note those little touches of coral again. I really want this tent.

I would want to hang these Pom Pom somewhere in or around my outdoor tent.

They just make everybody party-mood happy, don't they?

Everyone is Pom Pom crazy these days, so pretty and fun.

~ Creamsicles made with Cantaloupe ~

I remembered "O' magazine had a melon feature a summer ago so I went online hunting. Not too often you find recipes with cantaloupe, why is that? Click here to see the recipe for these low-cal summer treats.

~ Linquine with Cantaloupe, Cherry tomatoes, and Mint ~

I really had to hunt online for a main course melon recipe, but look at the yummy dish I found for you. As soon as our local cantaloupe season starts, I will be in the kitchen making this. I have a feeling it will be an incredible taste combination.This looks so good, I might even have company over to share it. Click here for the creamy recipe.

~ Peach and Mascarpone Cheesecake with Balsamic Syrup ~

I think this might be a good one too. I found it at Bon Appetit.

Click here for the recipe and file it for peach season.

I think that Balsamic syrup will be heavenly with peaches.

All photo sources with images.