Gift Bag Idea

For the next birthday or other special occasion that rolls around,instead of going out and purchasing a gift bag, why don't you try making one, instead! Not only is it pretty, but it also shows the recipient you took the time to make them something special. The best part is that they are absolutely functional! Miss Bonnie makes these and not only is she giving the person a gift inside, they also have a new bag to carry around!

Gift Idea For House Guests

With Easter just around the corner I know a lot of you will be welcoming guests into your home. Here is a cute and inexpensive way to let your guests know that you are delighted they are visiting. I think they will be very pleased to know that you took the time to make a special "welcome" gift just for them!

All you have to do is take a hand towel and fold it in half lengthwise. The next step is to "roll" the towel very loosely until you are at the end. You then safety pin it in place and take the underside of the towel and "scrunch" it up so that it forms a solid bottom. Add some shredded paper, a pretty bow, a handwritten welcome note, and tuck a few sweet little gifts inside! The best part about this gift is that you can easily purchase everything at your local dollar store. If you are going to be the one who is the house guest I think you could easily incorporate this idea using some other goodies and it would make a darling hostess gift!

A Few Other Ideas

Get well: tissues, aspirin, cough drops, can of chicken soup, etc..

Kitchen Towel: spices, recipe cards, small kitchen gadgets, egg timer, etc. I think this would make perfect bridal shower gift, don't you?

Spa: lotion, eye mask, nail file, pretty nail polish, etc..

A Sweet Gift For Neighbors!

I wanted to remember my neighbors with a little something "sweet" for Valentine's Day and I thought this would be the perfect way to do it! I went to Karla Dornacher's site and downloaded these. They are the perfect little gift bag to tuck away a few sweets in. The front is To and From and the back is the bible verse that says, "Love is patient, love is kind, love never ends." To close it up I punched a whole in the top of the bag and tied with festive ribbon!

Housewarming Gift

Here is a picture of what Miss Bonnie gave as a housewarming gift! My almost daughter-in-love bought Miss Bonnie the new Martha baking cookbook for Christmas. Bonnie decided to make a recipe out of the cookbook and then she purchased this cake plate to display the cookies on! I have always loved the look of a cake plate on a kitchen counter and it can also be used to hold fruit, etc. if you remove the lid. It's not only pretty, it is also versatile!


The cookies she baked were called Cheesecake Thumbprints!

A Christmas Gift Idea

Are you struggling with what gift to give people on your Christmas list this year? I wanted to share with you something that I have chosen to give some dear friends of mine this year. Awhile ago I did a post on one of my favorite Christian writers and illustrators, Karla Dornacher. She has the most wonderful Christmas book out that I highly recommend. It is filled with her wonderful illustrations, ideas you can use in your home, and most importantly, it is all about the TRUE meaning of Christmas. I have it sitting on my entry table so it is readily accessible to my guests if they would like to look at it! I can't think of a more befitting and meaningful gift this time of year. I went and ordered mine online and got them in just several days. The best part?? She autographs each one and writes a little note to the recipient. If you are interested the information can be found at: http://karladornacher.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=K&Product_Code=CHRS-BK&Category_Code=GTBKS


If you look closely you can see the little Christmas tree bookmark that comes attached to the book. You can enlarge the other picture so you can see how she autographs each book!

Spreading Christmas Joy To Our Neighbors
Mr. P and I have been truly blessed with wonderful neighbors. During this time of year we like to remember those special neighbors with a little gift. I always try to make something by hand to give as gifts. This is what we will be taking to our neighbors this year!



A loaf of freshly baked pumpkin cranberry bread will be wrapped up with a brand new tea towel and a pretty bow. Miss Bonnie and I also are making "cocoa for two" cones. We used festive paper and made the cone shape. We then added enough homemade cocoa for two at the bottom of the cone and on top of the cocoa we placed some marshmallows and then a layer of yummy chocolate chips. Another good thing to place in the basket would be a festive mug to go along with the hot cocoa! I will make a decorative tag to place on the cocoa with instructions as well as including the recipe for the bread. I was so happy to find these darling baskets at the dollar store! Now I have to get busy and start my baking!