wrapped in wishes

since the baby shower i threw a few weeks ago, i've had baby gifts on the brain, and one of my all-time favorites comes to mind. it's called the 100 good wishes quilt from red envelope and it's one of the nicest baby gifts i've found. it's inspired by a chinese tradition and is meant to symbolize the energy, good fortune and loving wishes of the gift givers. isn't that lovely?

silk-screened in a cozy font onto soft quilts in pink or blue are all the wishes you'd bestow on any life, at any age (i love that they include "uniqueness!") and it can be customized with the baby's name and birthdate as well. i adore this idea...isn't it sweet?

all photos from red envelope

a show of hands

i really, really, really love the idea of handprint canvases, especially for a growing family. i really adore the idea of having artwork in a home that's of, by and for the family who lives there.

there are so many ways you could use these - each family member or child could do one square, the same child could do a square every five years to colorfully display their growth, two kids could do hands and feet, etc. you get the idea.


for a smallish kids' birthday party, you could even have each kid design a square at the party and bring it home as their favor. (could do it for adults too, actually!) and i love it as a gift when a new baby is born - it's a perfect project for a big brother or sister to do with their new attention-stealer - i mean baby.

the set from wisteria has of burlap canvases, while red envelope's set comes in either the colorful canvases shown here, or in white. all options come with a set of non-toxic paints as shown in these pictures (the white canvas set comes with paints in black, red, blue, green and yellow).

i like both sets, depending on where you'd hang them and the colors surrounding them. playrooms, bedrooms, beach houses, hallways, bathrooms...they'd be a pleaser almost anywhere.

for a more freestyle option, wisteria has a large-scale version which could make a very cool wall hanging in a kids' room, a playroom or even in the rest of the house.

such fun, right?

photos from linked sites

honey gift files...sweet dreams

it's easy to forget that the longest, coldest part of the winter is after the holidays are over and done, and without all the cheer and togetherness to warm them up. so it's always nice to give gifts that help our loved ones to keep cozy throughout those months.

my favorite way to buy pajamas for myself and as gifts is to get a few pieces in complementary colors that are interchangable with each other and make for several possible combinations. last winter, i bought myself a set of red pajamas and a set of black, and then a robe and slippers in black and white, and a sleepshirt in red and white. what i love is that whatever combination i go for matches, and that's a really nice, sort of fancy feeling, even while i'm at my most casual. upon making that purchase, i really discovered the unique pleasure and comfort of something like this - it's one of those things that adds specialness to an everyday routine.

here are some of my favorite picks for this season. they all come in several different colors and patterns, so click around and check out all your options.

from gap body:

from lane bryant (plus size):

from old navy plus:







from old navy:






old navy has so many (and such well-priced) options that i couldn't resist a second color scheme:








from gap maternity:

from natori:

from bath and body works:

i love these mukluk slippers from victoria's secret, which i think are great on their own as a gift and most of them are on sale for around $20:

,
this cashmere lounge set and robes from arlotta through bare necessities would make an amazingly luxe gift -- like, celeb-quality luxe:


from avenue (plus size):










from restoration hardware, i love these foot duvets (great deal at $16) and both the cashmere and plush robes (monogrammable):

and look at these his and hers long johns from red envelope...adorable. i think if i were to opt for these, i'd totally opt for mr. and mrs. embroidery. would be especially cute for a newly married pair.

with so many potential colors and prints, it's fun to pick out the components of a pajama gift, and even more fun to open up a gift that gives warmth every night of the winter.