We’re fast approaching wedding season and that means putting on our “creative thinking hats” and coming up with a great gift for the bride and groom!

Here are a few suggestions in hopes that I can make it a bit easier on you!

All couples receive salt and pepper shakers, but not salt and pepper bowls!  There’s something that feels good when you reach into a bowl with your finger tips, pinch a little salt and pepper and sprinkle it on your food or dish while cooking.

Paulova Ceramics, located in Portalnd (one of my very favorite cities), creates these sweet bowls with beautiful colors inside them.  See all of the colors here.  I think these are special enough by themselves, but if you want to take it a step further, add a flavored salt or special ground pepper to the gift!

Paulova makes gift giving even easier by offering a special gift box for an additional $4.

I recently helped host a shower and this great-looking personalized acrylic tray is what we gave the future bride and groom.

We chose to put the couple’s future last name on the tray and used it on the serving table with a few cocktail napkins and a set of 4 wine glasses so they’ll be ready to entertain after the wedding!

Meagan and Blake loved seeing their name on something, so this was a big hit!  Find this tray and other monogramed goodies at Mad for Monogram’s shop here.

I think I’ve featured this adorable pillow in a post, but it’s still one of my favs.  You don’t need to be approaching marriage for this pillow; you just need to be in love.  My best friend in Houston ordered one of these with her and her husband’s name inside the heart and it sits on the couch in the den.  I love these little pillows for a wedding gift and at $35 it’s a score for anyone’s budget!  Find them in Cozy Blue’s shop here.

I hope that helped!  Do you have a special wedding gift that you like to give?  Please share it with me so I can share with all of THL’s readers!

Have you ever wondered why we decorate eggs for Easter?  Well, I’m not sure why I’ve never thought about this, but I decided to look into it…

I discovered that it’s a symbol of “New Life”!  I’m not sure why I never thought about this before!  Growing up in a Christian home, I knew that Easter was about celebrating Christ’s resurrection and just thought of the Easter bunny as the “Santa” of Easter…  I never thought about the reason behind the tradition of Easter eggs…

In Christianity, the egg symbolizes the empty tomb of Jesus.  The egg appears to be like the stone of a tomb…a bird hatches from it with life!  Similarly the Easter egg is a reminder that Jesus rose from the grave and that those who believe will experience eternal life.

I hope that this will cause you to look at the time you put into making your eggs beautiful a bit differently!

via (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)

Do you make beautiful Easter Eggs?  Please send me pics of your eggs so I can share them with THL readers! What are your favorite Easter traditions?

There’s just nothing better than sharing a latte with your besties and when you get a talented barista that makes your latte a sip-able work of art, it’s even more special!

Please allow me to brag and tell you that I’ve mastered the ability to stir and sip my latte while keeping the foamy design in tact  throughout the entire drinking experience…*curtsy*… so perhaps I’ll share my technique via video soon!

My favorite local spot to grab a latte is Oddfellows in the Bishop Arts District.  This laid-back restaurant has all of the things that make brunch a favorite part of my weekend…a patio, exceptional lattes, migas, asiago cheese grits and plenty of hipsters and dogs to keep your view interesting.  Grab your sunnies and join in the fun!

I’ve recently heard about a barista in Fort Worth that makes fun latte art and I’m ready to make a special trip to try it!  These designs are done by Coffee Katie at Caffe di Angeli.  It’s interesting that they don’t have anything on their website or FB page about these artistic lattes, but Coffee Katie has quiet a gallery here of her work at the cafe.

How much fun is this grumpy cat?!  Coffee Katie, I’m heading west to check out your brew soon!

Where is your favorite place to grab a latte?  What would you want to see on your latte?  Have you mastered the stir and sip without destroying the design?

If you enjoyed the post, click share!

If

there’s such a thing as a “sexy rocker”, this has got to be it!

Savannah Rocker III, $6,995

This Texas girl is crazy in love with these leather cuffs from Karen Kell!

This boho arm candy

is sold at Free People for $93.  You can get them here for $58!

Stack ‘em up when you’re feeling like you have that extra ounce of bad a**!

These cuffs are meant to be worn loud and proud!  I’m up for the challenge!  And you?

I have a new crush and his name is Joel!

Joel makes all kinds of beautiful arts,crafts and education products for

children and their care-givers.  Isn’t that lovely?

He’s even shared many of his things in a book that you can find here and on his website here.

He recently shared this adorable printable on Valentines Day that I think is great any time of the year.  It’s always a good time for Paris, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=l2nYKXTZY68

Thanks, Joel!  You make lots of people happy with your designs!

When I grow up I want to have a job like Leslie Williamson.  Her book, Handcrafted Modern, features the homes of 14 modern design legends.  Now she’s working on the European version seeking backer via cialis online Kickstart.