It's the Whole Package

From birthdays to Christmas, Valentine's to Mother's Day and various special occasions are exciting for me, and not because I'm receiving something. I won't deny that I love receiving, but the magic is in giving. And it's not just the solitary present. No, it's the entire package. Everything from the envelope to the wrapping is carefully curated and intentional. Obviously, the present is the main course, but the wrapping and cards are like the appetizers. This past Christmas I was dead set on using recycling materials from my house for wrapping. I did buy one roll of this vibrant, textured paper that I couldn't pass up. Mostly, I used brown grocery bags. This took the entire Christmas wrapping experience to another level. I got creative with it. I wrote on the paper, used funky ribbon, cut and pasted. It was not a chore, but a fun project!

Let's rewind a little to the gifting part. Pre-Christmas I was extremely eager to work on some projects and, if all went well, gift them. Body scrub was at the top of my list. I recently bought some locally made scrub and am obsessed with the scent and silky smooth skin it gives you. Perfect gift for any girl and pretty inexpensive. 

I used coffee grinds, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and olive oil. Then I bottled them in some mason jars and VOILA- a gift that's awesome. Something to be proud of and shock people by your crafty ways. Main advantage to body scrub is baby-soft skin. MAKE IT, even if it's for yourself. 

Second project was jewelry making. I am really feeling the industrial vibe/look. So I headed over to Honestly WTF and what a great variety of DIY's there. And here's what I did. This and this. 

 I raided my uncle's garage and "borrowed" some supplies that I liked more than the suggested ones. Also, the local hardware store didn't have them. I was pretty satisfied with the outcome, but not enough to give as gifts. I just kept them for myself and hope to perfect it a little. But, the steps provided were very thorough and easy to follow. This site will definitely be revisited. 

Valentine's Day is coming soon. Enough said.