Merry Christmas!

found on Pinterest

My warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday,

and a very happy new year!!

Give Thanks printable

I am in awe of the talented graphic designers in blogland and their creations! They are so generous, too. Many of them share amazing printables for FREE! I have a Printables board on Pinterest so I can easily find all of these goodies because so many of them are seasonal favorites now.

I'm hosting Thanksgiving for the first time this year - ack! But I have lots of help from my mom and sister {love them!}. I have a huge list of to-dos in the next week but the first thing I did was print and frame this print from Beth Proudfoot at It Is What It Is:

Give Thanks from Beth Proudfoot

Thanks Beth for sharing so many amazing printables!!

MD Komen Race for the Cure fundraiser with Stella & Dot‏

I'm very excited to share with you my Maryland Komen Race for the Cure fundraiser with Stella & Dot!!

I'm donating 25% of all purchases made through my Stella & Dot site this month to the MD Komen Race for the Cure in memory of my aunt.

My Aunt Martha past away last fall after she fought cancer for many, many years. We were so lucky to have so many great memories and laughs together that I will cherish them forever. In years past I participated in the MD Komen Race for the Cure and walked in honor of my aunt, on October 23rd I will walk in her memory. I have set a big fundraising goal for myself this year and I thought a great way to reach my goal would be donating my October Stella & Dot commission to the cause my aunt supported during her battles. Get a jump start on Christmas shopping while supporting the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Please consider making a Stella & Dot purchase knowing 25% of your purchase is going to a wonderful cause!!

  

Simply go to www.stelladot.com/gnagey, browse around and enjoy the beautiful Stella & Dot jewelry. If you decide to make a purchase (thank you!!) be sure to select Team Martha before you finalize your order (find the Trunk Show name in the drop down box under my photo on the Checkout page).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Susan G. Komen Foundation was started by Susan’s younger sister Nancy G. Brinker. Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1977 at the age of 33 years old. As Susan was losing her battle with cancer, she realized she didn’t know enough about breast cancer and felt she could have lived if she was better educated. Nancy made a vow to Susan that she would help build breast cancer awareness. Susan died just 3 years after her diagnosis, and two years later Nancy founded the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Since then, the foundation has become the largest breast cancer organization in the United States.

Happy First Day Of School {printable}

I found this adorable Happy First Day of School printable (from The Sweetest Occasion blog) on Pinterest. The timing might be a little late depending on when you little return to school, if it is then save this cutie for next year!

Pinterest is my latest obsession - so many lovely inspirations and information!

Happy 4th!!

It feels like I've blinked and its been over two weeks since the last post here - how does that happen?!? 

Our early summer days have been filled with crafts (some were hits, some haven't turned out like I pictured in my mind), time at the pool, boring home stuff like laundry, and lots of idea/inspiration gathering in preparation for painting and decorating the bedrooms.  I guess all that explains my lack of idea sharing here at Penguin's Gift! 

What are you doing this holiday weekend?  We have a busy few days planned that includes fireworks, pool, picnics, and a bike parade.  We are kicking off the holiday weekend by having a bunch of great friends over for a playdate.  While at the craft store we picked up a fun summer craft for all the kids to enjoy and last night I put together these sparkler favors:

The printable sparkler tags from Twig & Thistle - the fun printable includes sparkler cards, matchbook wrappers, and straw tags!

Have a safe and fun holiday weekend -- happy 4th everyone!!!!

{I promise to be back soon to share some of the great gifts that my daughter was lucky enough to received for her birthday!}

A Birthday Recap {Anna is 6}

As promised here is a little recap of my daughter's sixth birthday party!!

This is the sample invitation from Chickabug {I love Chickabug and all of Heather's party creations - you'll see more below}.  For the second year running there wasn't a party theme so my daughter picked two colors from Chickabug's Design It Yourself (DIY) color chart {plum and rose} and Heather created this fun invitation. 

A cute birthday banner to get the party started {from Chickabug}!

Since there wasn't a theme I decided color coordinated drinks were a must! ;)

Pink lemonade and grape kool-aide with polka dot straws from Hey YoYo on Etsy.

The girls snacked on alphabet pretzels in these adorable cups {another great find from Hey YoYo}

Party planning starts early in our house - like months and months before birthdays.  We talk about what kind of party they would like to have that year and what will fit in the budget.  Just after Christmas I was suggesting different kinds of spring parties and one of the ideas was a pottery painting party.  She *loved* the idea but waited a few more months until the decision was a definite and I contacted Kathy Fick Designs. 

Kathy is so sweet and great to work with - the girls enjoyed painting their cupcake plate and Kathy was very helpful and patient.  If you are in the Baltimore area I highly recommend Kathy Fick Designs for pottery and fused glass parties (its not just for the kids - Kathy does parties for all ages.  Girls Night In anyone??!??)

Yummy cupcakes {toppers from Chickabug}! 

I had matching purple and pink candles but they melted in the sun.  No worries, I was thankful to have a beautiful day to host an outside party so sacrificing coordinating candles was well worth it!

We ended the party with favors, of course {tags from Chickabug}.  Want to know whats inside the bag?  The birthday girl was very specific with the favors ... lip gloss, fun fashion rings, pony tail holders, three lolli pops and six Reese's peanut butter cups!!

Party Credits:

~Invitations, banner, cupcake toppers, and favor tags from Chickabug on Etsy's DIY collection in Polka Dots {also check out the Chickabug blog!!}

~Polka dot paper straws and polka dot baking/nut cups from Hey YoYo on Etsy

~Pottery and all the supplies from Kathy Fick Designs

Why has it been so quiet here?

I've been uber-busy with family life! Our spring calendar was filled with two dance recitals, two surgeries (both went well and everyone is doing fine), Easter and all of its lovely celebrations, two Spring Fling events, and lots and lots of school activities. 

My fun with Stella & Dot continues ... I hosted a Spring Open House at the end of April. I had two Trunk Shows before I became a Stylist so this was my third time hosting at my home! Trunk Shows are a blast!!  Its crazy to call this a 'job'.

Each person who dropped in took home a little sampler of caramels from The Caramel Jar and I attached cute 'Hello Spring' and butterfly printables {free!} from it is what it is.

I was also busy mixing my love of helping others find gifts with my Stella & Dot business. Lots of little Mother's Day gift boxes were delivered earlier this month and there were lots of happy moms who recieved charm necklaces on Sunday the 8th ♥.

 

I have one more big event on our spring calendar - my oldest daughter's birthday. This is a sneak peek at the invitation created by Chickabug.  There is no theme for her party so once again my daughter picked the party colors - pink and purple! I'll share more party details about the big event soon.

I haven't had much extra time to share gift ideas but that will change in the coming weeks because I have a few Father's Day and Graduation ideas for you.

Thanks for your continued support of my little gift blog!!

{April 24}

Image from September Wren on Etsy

Happy Easter to you!!

Happy Birthday to me!

Enjoy this beautiful day.

♥

Paperless Post

Second to collecting gift ideas, party planning is at the top of my favorite things list!  My little girl's birthday is about two months away so we are busy gathering ideas for a theme, and in turn decorations, favors, and food.  While I'm obsessing over party ideas I thought I'd share my new favorite invitation service - Paperless Post.

What I love about Paperless Post is how it feels like you are receiving an actual invitation like you would find in your mailbox complete with your guests name written on the envelope.  I also love the texture, how the font almost looks letter-pressed like fine stationery.  Yes, I'm {swooning} over an online invitation service!!

Here are some samples (to see the entire collection you must register but its well worth the three seconds and I've never received spam from Paperless Post):

A Birthday Recap

This past weekend we celebrated my younger daughter's birthday at one of the hugely popular bounce places.  I find it difficult to plan her parties given her birthday is just six days into the new year.  I become overwhelmed with Christmas and all its wonderful distractions that planning a fabulous party doesn't happen.  I have learned to decide on a birthday party place and reserve it in October.  I'd love to have her party at our home but for now 20+ kids *inside* my cozy little home isn't manageable. 

Yet again hodge-podge could be used to describe her party.  There was no theme because neither one of us could think of something inspirational.  I used evite for the invitations to save time and money, and because its so darn easy to keep track of the guest list. 

I thought I'd take the easy road again with the cake and during one of our grocery trips we flipped through the cake design book.  Big mistake!!  She picked a Hannah Montana cake - my daughter has never seen the show or heard her songs.  I pulled out all the stops to get her to switch cake designs, even offering to make bumble bee cupcakes with her at home.  Nothing worked.  So I caved and we enjoyed a yummy Hannah Montana cake just like she wanted.

Now lets talk about the favors!  Another hodge-podge of things yet this combination turned out fantastic.  I found these adorable crayon rolls (pictured above) from Baby Bib and Boot on Etsy.  I like to give something useful as party favors and the crayon rolls were perfect.  Great for tucking away in your bag or car to color-on-the-go.

Heather from Chickabug (on Etsy, and check out her blog - lots of great party inspirations and great Etsy finds) sent me the cutest coloring book to include with the favors.  Big thanks again, Heather!!

I popped the crayon rolls, coloring book, and some candy into white party bags from the craft store.  I used birthday bubble circles from Living Locurto, a free printable that I downloaded over the summer, to festively mark the outside of the party bag and tied the top with a ribbon.  Super cute and fun!!

If you are planning a party be sure to check out the great finds on Etsy.  I honestly don't know how I would plan a party without Etsy!

ETS:  How could I forget to tell you about the applique shirt I made for the birthday girl!?!  I used the tutorial from Totally Smitten Mama to make a birthday number shirt for her and it turned out great ... from a distance, I can see all of my zig-zag stitch mistakes ;).

If I were a little girl ...

If I were a little girl, I would want either of these watches:

TOKYObay watch $36

And these knit pajamas in Happy Sunflower:

Ruffle-Trimmed PJs $44

So cute!!  Garnet Hill has the best clothes, shoes and fun accessories for little girls. 

birthday recap

I am happy to report we had a fun party on a beautiful Saturday afternoon - YAY! 

We were lucky with the weather and enjoyed lots of party time outside before the rain came much later in the evening.  The children played so well together - swinging, sliding, bubbles, a little soccer, and a few games organized by the birthday girl.  We all had fun, especially the birthday girl :).  Everyone went home with full bellies and smiles. 

• 
  
  Printables (invitations, banner, cup labels, cupcake picks, and favor stickers) from Pumpkin Petunia.
• 
  
  Bakers twine (Divine Twine) for the banner and favors from Whisker Graphics.
• 
  
  Cups, lids, and paper straws from Garnish.
• Favors for the older kids was an Eric Carle Sketch and Tell book and set of colored pencils.  Favors for the younger kids was the book Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricelli.

party preparations

Planning parties is one of my favorite things!  Along with shopping for gifts :).

I am in the home stretch for my daughter's birthday party this weekend.  Please let the sun-gods smile on us!  Today I'll be busy cutting/sticking/stringing some great custom printables from Jo-Ann at Pumpkin Petunia.

I hope to take super-fantastic pictures of the party and post them later next week (if you were my husband you would be laughing with tears in your eyes - I am a horrible photographer but I'll try my best, promise!).  Until then I'll share some of my favorite party things.

For party inspirations I love visiting these blogs:

• Hostess with the Mostess
• Kara's Party Ideas
• The Party Dress
• Party Perfect
• One Charming Party

For party stuff I love these sites:

• Whisker Graphics - I can't get enough of the Divine Twine!  I have Green Apple and Orange.  There are so many uses for it, from gift wrapping to paper crafts to party accents.  I'm using the  Orange for my daughter's party.  Be sure to check out the Divine Twine Flicker Group for lots of twine inspiration.
• Living Locurto - Amazing DIY party packs, you buy then personalize the printables!  Legos, Mermaids, On The Farm, Fairy Princess, and more to come.  Be sure to check out her blog for great FREE printables.
• Garnish - Oh, how I love this shop!  They provide the basic party supplies and you embellish them to fit your party.  I'm using the simple white cups and red paper straws for our party (CUTE!).  And I couldn't resist the wooden utensils for picnics this summer.  So, so many fun things to discover on the blog.

today {April 24}

(image via karina, ink.)

tune in next week ...

I'll paraphrase something I heard yesterday - 'Sometimes life is like a ball of inertia and the best we can do is hold on' - because that sums up my week.

I apologize for the lack of posting here at Penguin's Gift. I promise to be back next week with a new print to share and to kickoff a great GIVEAWAY!

Prints, Prints, and more Prints

As I was putting together my nephew's birthday gift I realized that I might have a problem. I sat down and made a list of prints I've given in the last year. Here goes:

~Drum Kit for nephew's birthday

~U.S. Naval Academy Chapel for BIL's birthday

~Our Family for me for Christmas

~Bookworm Silhouette for niece's birthday

~Complimenting Silhouettes for my daughters

~Football Silhouette for nephew for Christmas

And there is one more sitting upstairs ... I can't wait to tell you about that one once it has been given!

Lucky Penny Printable from Pumpkin Petunia

We have been busy gathering and cleaning pennies in the last few days. Printing and cutting cardstock too. And having fun with school glue. Why, you may ask? To make theses adorable Lucky Penny cards from Pumpkin Petunia's blog.

We are giving them to the children in my daughter's preschool class as well as a few family members. These would also be great for friends and coworkers.

Share a little luck with the people in your life this St. Patrick's Day! Its the little gifts of thoughtfulness that make the biggest impression.

Divine Bakers Twine - GIVEAWAY

Whisker Graphics blog is giving away 15 yards of Divine Bakers Twine in each of the five colors (Green Apple, Lemon, Aqua, Orange & Black Licorice) and an extra crafting surprise to two (2) lucky winners.

Run, don't walk, over here to enter! Giveaway ends Sunday, March 14th 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time.

Divine Twine is the perfect accent to a gift. My favorite wrapping paper is the brown mailing paper found in Target's postage section. Add some Divine Twine and a cute note and you have a beautifully wrapped gift!

I featured a product from Whisker Graphics Etsy shop in January and mentioned the Divine Twine at the end of my post, here. I'm in the planning stages for a party for one of my daughters. I'm selfishly going to incorporate Divine Twine into the party decorations just so I can purchase a spool.

Easter Week!

I was beyond excited when we turned the calendar to March last week. Spring flowers and warmer weather are getting closer every day.

I knew April was the month we would celebrate the beautiful holiday of Easter. What I didn't realize is how close we are to Easter - April 4th! Just under a month to gather gift ideas for those special people in our lives.

Each day this week Penguin's Gift will focus on Easter gift ideas. Yay! I'm really excited about the great products I've found to share with you.

Dearest Readers, please share your favorite Easter memory?

Valentine fun

I am up to my ears in Valentine's stuff and having so much fun! I don't think of this holiday as a gift giving event (its not in my little family) so I haven't shared too many ideas, sorry.

I have been busy thinking about banners, card bags, and of course my children's class Valentine cards. The fun stuff to make it 'feel' like a holiday around the house. Just what I need in the middle of a cold winter.

In searching for Valentine ideas I've discovered the world of blog printables and I'm hooked.

LivingLocurto has a page full of links to fun printable Valentine cards and stuff.

This banner (doubled) from Tricia-Rennea, Illustrator is hanging over our fireplace.

Like baking? Customize your Valentine goodie bags with this printable from Twig & Thistle.