Tag: holiday

Gift guide: For the foodie

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 4 Comments

One of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever received was a wok filled with all the equipment and ingredients to make a variety of Asian meals—all packaged up with a cook book to tell me how to make them. The giver of this gift not only gave me something I’d been wanting—the wok—they gave me the gift of a hassle-free cooking experience by doing all the legwork for me. It didn’t cost a lot of money, but her thoughtfulness really made a difference.

I’m planning to present a variety of gift guides filled with beautiful handmade things your loved ones will enjoy. I encourage you to plan ahead, put a little extra thought into your gifts this holiday season and make your gifts truly matter to those you’re giving them to! Happy Giving!

I love having unique recipe cards. They help me remember exactly when and where I came across the recipe every time I make it. I recently made these sets of Buzzing Bee recipe cards—and I created them so each individual card is unique. The bees are placed in a different position on each and every card.

The way I would love to receive this gift, especially from my mom or another family member, would be to get two sets: One that’s filled with the giver’s favorite dishes, and one that’s blank to fill with my own! There is something so special about having a recipe from someone you love written in their own handwriting. Package up your recipes with some of the supplies below!

These sweet measuring spoons from Beehive Kitchenware make doling out the right amount of salt much more fun!

These mixing bowls by Charm LA are an original design that makes pouring a breeze. What’s more, the beautiful ceramic pieces are both microwave and dishwasher safe!

Once you’ve measured and mixed, you’ll need something to bake those goodies in. These adorable vintage bundt pans from Curate & Love are just the thing!

Twelve (or more) Days of Christmas

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

Good morning dear readers! I have a confession to make: I haven’t sent out Christmas cards for two years. Somehow each December seems to fly by and before I know it, I’m heading to my parents for the holidays and my stack of cards is still sitting on the dining room table. But this year, in an effort to show how much I value those who make my life better, I’m going to try. I may or may not succeed 100%, but at least I’m making the effort!

Since I can’t send a card to each and every one of you (although if you email me your address, I’ll put you on the list!), my gift to you all this holiday season will be to give 110% on the blogging front. Truth be told, I’ve been saving up some awesome ideas for weeks now, so from now until Christmas, my plan is to post at least every other day (do the math, it’ll make the title of this post make more sense). From décor to gift ideas, I hope I can share a little inspiration and help thaw the brain freeze that can accompany trying to find the perfect present.

An aside: This year, I’ve chosen not to use the politically correct “holiday” in lieu of Christmas. Not because I’m ignoring the other holidays that fall at this time of year, but simply because that’s what I celebrate. Sometimes we take such drastic steps to make sure no one is left out that we end up over-generalizing or making the world feel like one homogenized landscape rather than celebrating what makes each culture unique. I hope you can use the ideas I write about in your own traditions this season, and please feel free to leave comments about how you’d use these ideas in your life!

Plum crazy

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

Happy Cyber Monday! Yeah, apparently that’s a thing. I know I should be more enthusiastic about the retail surge this weekend but I just can’t bring myself to do it! If there’s one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s that “it’s just stuff.” (And definitely not worth pepper spraying your fellow shopper over! Seriously lady?!?)

However, I was excited about being given the opportunity to put together a beautiful little gift set for a fellow etsian. She wanted two of each of my botanically themed cards in different colors. I had most of the designs already printed in a couple different colors, but I did get to put in several hours on my press this weekend. The results are quite lovely if I do say so myself!

It seems that whenever I work on a custom project these days, the stars align, the humidity and ink consistency and pressure are all just right and I can’t help but print everything in sight. This weekend was no different, so while I was all inked up, I worked on a couple projects I’ve had swirling around in my head for a while. Turns out, they all looked good in purple!

Thanksgiving 101: Desserts

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 2 Comments

When it comes to Thanksgiving, I’m a traditionalist. I want my turkey, stuffing and pecan pie the way they’ve always been, thank you very much. I actually get a little bummed out when the holiday is held anywhere but my parents’ house, as obviously my mom whips up the best spread around.

However, if Aunt Gertrude is bringing her famous pumpkin pie and your favorite niece Lucy is trying her hand at her first pecan… I suppose there’s a little room for creativity at the dessert table.

First up, a classic caramel apple makes a perfect addition to your autumnal spread. I like the variety offered by Kaitlin & Kylie’s, but I’m sure you can purchase them locally in any area of the country this time of year!

Everyone loves cupcakes. They’re perfectly portioned, and you get an ample amount of frosting with every bite. My favorite flavor at the moment? Salted caramel. It’s the perfect addition to your holiday spread, just as the tartness of the apple contrasts the sweet caramel above, the saltiness of this recipe cuts through what might otherwise be overly sweet sugary flavor. Plus the salted caramel sugar art on the top makes these a real showpiece!

And the piece de resistance? A pumkin-shaped pumkin cake of course. Read about the trials and tribulations of making that lovely Burnt Orange Silk Miringue Buttercream here, then go out and buy yourself a jar of frosting, ad a few drops of orange flavoring and viola! It’s ok to be lazy, you’ve got a turkey to worry about.

Thanksgiving 101: Décor

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It probably seems a little much to totally transform your home for Thanksgiving. You’ve got some serious cooking to do, right? On the other hand, a few simple touches can go a long way and elevate an everyday family dinner to a special event.

Infuse your table with the colors (and scent!) of fall with this ombre apple centerpiece found in styled. magazine. I love the beautiful array of tones of apples available this time of year and the way they mixed and matched the napkins on this table as well—no need to go out an buy three new sets just so everyone’s is the same! (By the way—I love fabric napkins. A) They’re much prettier than paper ones. B) They make even a Tuesday night dinner feel special, restaurant-worthy even. C) That whole eco-friendly thing. Wash and re-use, people!)

Speaking of mixing and matching, are you lacking enough flatware for all your guests? Take this idea from Creature Comforts: Buy a cheap assortment of forks, spoons and knives from your local resale shop, spray paint the ends with colors that match the rest of your table and you have a funky set of silverware for any guest who comes along! I might add looking into some sort of varnish that will stick to both the paint and metal to seal the handles, as spray paint will sometimes flake off onto your hands. Best yet, send your guests home with a little something special (caramel corn perhaps?) in these easy-to-make favor bags. Simply make a tube out of paper and sew the ends in perpendicular directions. If you plan ahead and print your guests’ names on each bag, you can place one at each setting and they’ll do double duty as place cards as well!