My Newly Organized Gift and Craft Closet

I have this little closet under the stairs in my basement.  It's plain and awkwardly shaped but it's one of my favorite places in the house.  The moment we moved in I declared it my gift and craft closet but for months it's been filled with boxes and random items.  Until now.  I finally had enough with the mess and took a couple hours to organize the closet.  It only took a little time and less than $20.

Whether it be a closet, a drawer in a dresser or a box in the attack having an organized space for tissue paper and craft items will save a lot of time, money and frustration over time.

Storage Items:

• Over-the-door Shoe Organizer for bows and ribbon
• Rolling Laundry Cart for wrapping paper, gift bags and boxes
• Old Wicker Shelves for tissue paper
• Rolling Plastic Cart for craft supplies

A shoe organizer works great for storing ribbons and bows.  It's an inexpensive solution (less than $5) and uses door space that would otherwise sit empty. 

This old wicker shelf sat on a dresser in my childhood bedroom ages ago and I've never found a good use for it.  I'm so glad I kept it because it's perfect for this closet.  A large roll of craft paper that I use for everything sits on top.  Tissue paper organized by color lines the shelves.

An inexpensive ($12) three-bin laundry cart organizes the rest of the gift wrap.  Wrapping paper is in one bin, gift bags in another, and boxes in a the third. The cart is on wheels so I can easily take it to a large table in the living room when I have lots of wrapping to do, like at Christmas.

A rolling plastic storage unit I've had for years houses all my nic-nac craft supplies from glue to stencils.  The clear drawers let me see what's inside and labels make sure I put everything back where it belongs.

Every Day Gifting

Giving a little something to a friend or neighbor is something you can do regularly, with no planning or shopping.  Yesterday was one of my neighbor's birthdays and I remembered she loves the salted caramels she had at my house recently, so I packaged a few up in a little box and took them to her house.

This morning I dropped a bag of fresh picked blueberries at another neighbor's house.  Maggie and I picked more than we would ever need and I know my friend's kids like them.

I usually have some cookie dough frozen so when a friend is needing a little pick-me-up I can quickly bake a few and drop them off to her, or invite her over for a little snack and chat.

Small gestures go along way.

Cutesy Kitchen Gear: Measuring Cups

I have a slight obsession with cute kitchen gadgets.  I particularly find myself having a hard time resisting the urge to buy every set of measuring cups I run across that is different from your standard all-clad stainless steel variety (which I also  have of course).  Measuring cups make great gifts and they're inexpensive.  Tie a set of measuring cups or spoons to a box of muffin mix and you've got a great hostess gift any gal would love.  I thought I'd share a few of my favorite finds with you...well, maybe a bit more than a few.  I told you, it's an obsession!

I absolutely love these and lucky me, I got them for Christmas. Thanks Mom!
White Porcelain from World Market

I cant' decide if I actually like this, or if I just find it intriguing.
Regardless, in the right kitchen it could really add to the decor.
Enchanted Buck Cups from Anthropologie

Vintage Longaberger Pottery Measuring Bowl
Measures up to 3 cups and includes ounce marks
Baahurrah Farm Shop on Etsy

Flowering cups.  Cute enough to use as dipping bowls too.
Available at Pier One Imports and other places,
but "other places" are more expensive

Real cups as measuring cups.  Genius.
Also available at Pier One Imports 

These ceramic blue cups include the cup measurement, the ml measurement
and the fl oz measurements.
They're by Nigella Lawson. I swear everything that woman does is beautiful!
Available at CentralChef.com

Absolutely gorgeous! Stunning! Classy! Love! It!
Pewter Measuring Cups with Stand at Cooking.com

Looks like something your grandma may have used.
Vintage Kitchen Copper Measuring Cups
by Cherished Heats on Etsy



If you want to display your measuring cups and have them within reach, like this idea a lot.  Except I'd recommend using small hooks rather than chains so you can just grab and go, and not have to unhook anything.

This print of measurement conversions as awesome! Framed, it would look great in a kitchen AND be super resourceful.  It comes in a variety of colors at Sweet Fine Day on Etsy. 

Newlywed Gift

When it comes to giving a wedding gift, always buy the couple something from their registry, but put your own special touch on it as well.  I noticed newlywed friends of ours registered for batter bowls and a large pancake spatula, so I added a container of good pancake mix and in the card wrote, "Take time to enjoy the simple things...like making pancakes together on a lazy Saturday morning."

You all know I'm a big believer that presentation is important in all things, so I had to share with you this uber cute Mr. and Mrs. gift wrap I found at Wal-Mart.  (Big box stores can really surprise you with stylish products some times!)  It's made by Hallmark, maker of the best wrapping paper in my opinion.  What makes good wrapping paper? It must be thick, not easily torn or wrinkled, and have grid lines on the back for cutting.  Hallmark's paper never fails.  While I love the variety of fun colors by other brands, no one beats the quality of Hallmark paper.

Sorority RUSH and Collegiate Gifts

There's just something about the first day of school that always excites me. Even though I'm years past college, when I see kids riding their bikes to my neighborhood's elementary or teenagers packing their cars for college I get all a flutter with excitement.  In the last couple days I've been getting updates on sorority recruitments from friends' sisters and daughters going through RUSH, and progress reports from my sorority's local chapters (hello my Alpha Delta Pi sisters).  Moving to college and finding your place in social and academic groups is such an exhilarating time, and of course a time to be celebrated!

Here are a few of my favorite gift ideas for young ladies entering the collegiate world.  The key to these gifts is personalization -- she'll love anything with her name, college, or sorority on it.

College and Sorority Necklace from Etsy

Personalized Travel Mug from My Lucky Wish

Custom Bath Wrap from Swoozies

Party Pail with Glasses from Etsy

Now that that's taken care of, let's get on to college football. 

Traditional Anniversary Gifts

A girlfriend was recently struggling with what to get her husband for their third anniversary and she asked me what the traditional gift was.  I admit, I had absolutely no idea.

The tradition of giving gifts on a wedding anniversary dates back to the middle ages.  There's a lot of history on the subject if you're interested (for resources click here) but the gist is it started with the medieval Germans in Central Europe celebrating major milestone anniversaries, the 25th and the 50th.

"According to Hallmark research, the custom of associating silver with the 25th wedding anniversary and gold with the 50th wedding anniversary appear to have originated in the Germanic region of Middle Europe. The silver anniversary included a husband giving his wife a silver garland when they had been married 25 years."  Source: Hallmark.com

In the 1920s Emily Post wrote about the eight anniversaries everyone should know and associated symbolic gifts to each. (1st, 5th, 10th, 20th, 25th, 50th, and 75th).   

Here is a list of the reported traditional anniversary gifts.

First  -  Paper

Second  -  Cotton

Third  -  Leather

Fourth  -  Fruit and Flowers (Emily Post also suggests Linen)

Fifth  -  Wood

Sixth  -  Candy or Iron

Seventh  -  Copper or Wool

Eighth  -  Bronze

Ninth  -  Pottery

Tenth  -  Tin or Aluminum

Eleventh  -  Steel

Twelfth  -  Silk

Thirteenth  -  Lace

Fourteenth  -  Ivory

Fifteenth  -  Crystal

Twentieth  -  China

Twenty-fifth  -  Silver

Thirtieth  -  Pearl

Thirty-fifth  -  Coral

Fortieth  -  Ruby

Forty-fifth -- Sapphire

Fiftieth  -  Gold

Fifty-fifth  -  Emerald

Sixtieth  -  Yellow Diamond

Seventy-fifth  - Diamond

There are no traditional gifts for anniversaries not listed, though suggestions for modern gifts can be found online for years 1 - 100.  

Etiquette: Thank You Notes

Thank You Notes -- oh the dreaded task after you've been celebrated.  You're swimming in tissue paper and ribbon, day dreaming of where you'll put all your new goods. And then it hits you -- the list! You know the one.  On the left it says "4 piece place setting" and on the right it says "from aunt suzy."  It's the gift list and you're expected to send thank you notes to each person on it. Well, you best get going girly.  Thank you notes should be sent as soon as possible, though the saying "better late than never" very much applies.

Do I have to?...Yes, you do!  Unless you opened the gift in front of the giver and were able to personally thank them in person. Then you get a pass and a formal thank you note isn't required.  Just make sure you really, truly did thank them and they know you're grateful.  If your response sounded something like, "oh, thanks, um, friend" in front of 20 other friends and you quickly moved on to the next gift, then you should write a note.

When to send...the sooner the better.  Ideally you should write the note on the day you received the gift, but there are a few exceptions to the rule.  If you've just had a baby no one expects a prompt note of gratitude.  Get the notes in the mail within two months.  If you just got married send a note within three months of receiving the gift.  For showers and other parties with a lot of guests, get the notes in the mail within two weeks after the event.

What should I write?  Always mention the gift specifically (the tea set from William-Sonoma).  What you like about it (the color matches my dishes perfectly) and how you plan to use it (I've already invited my neighbors over for afternoon tea). 

Be prepared...you never know when you'll need to send a thank you note.  Keep a drawer or box filled with stationary and stamps.  I keep fill-in-the-blank cards for notes from my daughter, personalized elegant notecards for my husband, and cute, decorative cards for me.  I find flat cards are the best for quick thank you notes and a hostess essential, but there are great folded cards too.

Stock Up on Inexpensive, Personalized Notecards

www.vistaprint.com

 

Or buy favorites at your local stationer or online retailer, like Expressionary.com or Crane.com.

Practice Kindness

The best trait of any person, though essential to a good hostess, is simple kindness.  Real Simple reports this month a recent study finds that an act of kindness influences the person on the receiving end to follow suit.  One good deed "stays alive" for up to three degrees of separation, according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  For example, you do something nice for someone today.  They in turn do something nice for someone else, and so on.  It's simple and it's easy...be kind, be gracious, be generous, and those around you will follow.

Gwyneth Paltrow's blog, GOOP, featured this book today: Do Good: 201 Ways to Lend a Hand by Marci Silverman.  It offers suggestions for acts of kindness.  When you want to do something nice but not sure how, Marci gives you some ideas, like "Leave sweet treats. And run."

Do Good: 201 Ways to Lend a Hand

Last week a dear friend was diagnosed with cancer. This friend prefers not to be the center of attention and detest being the target of sympathy.  She's also got a wonderful sense of sarcastic humor.  Rather than send her a heartfelt, sympathetic card I sent her a comedic movie with a handmade note with expletives describing how she must feel.  It wasn't pretty, but I think it's just what she needed.

SoNo is So Good

I walked into a friend's home today to the smell of amazing blueberry muffins baking.  She'd just picked up a long awaited cookbook from The SoNo Baking Company, a bakery and cafe in South Norwalk, CT.  The muffins turned out to be scrumptious and the book will become a popular hostess gift.

The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook: The Best Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Occasion

Gift: For the Host on Father's Day

Father's Day is one of those holidays that always seems to surprise me...as in, "Surprise! Today's Father's Day and you forgot to get your father something." Even the best planned hostess can forget a holiday or two. So I'm starting my gift search now.  Surely I can find something he'll love before June 20th.  Here's my first idea.

The Sportula

What the spatula is for the baking hostess, the Sportula is for the grilling host.  

$25 at SpoonSisters.com

Presentation Makes the Gift

There are a lot of things I learned from my mother, including and especially how to present a package.  My mother's gifts are works of art.  They look so beautiful that before you even begin to untie the bow you already love the gift.  There's just something about a beautifully presented gift that makes the gift more special.  Heidi Devlin Designs shares my sentiments.  Every item I've purchased from her Etsy shop has come so beautifully wrapped I almost hate to undo it.  My latest purchase, a French Grain Sack Pillow, arrived today.  It's adorable, and the details she puts into presenting her handywork are so sweet.  Heidi includes a personal thank you note, neatly attached to the white tissue paper with a black ribbon.  And the pillow is cutely wrapped with twine and a business card. 

Tip: If you don't enjoy wrapping gifts, or don't have the time, find favorite shops and designers, like my friend Heidi, that do the work for you.