Easy, Last-Minute Get-Well-Soon Gift

Hey, guys! Here is an easy, last-minute DIY gift that you can make if someone needs a special something to cheer them up or there is an emergency. I filled my gift basket with practical, yet (hopefully) pretty and fun gifts that can be useful and enjoyed. Here is a list of supplies you'll need to replicate it:

-A candle

-Pens

-A Coloring Book (and if it's for an adult, you could go with Zentangle or calligraphy)

-A Scrumptious Snack

-A Cute Mug

-Something Extra (such as body care products or flowers)

Also, you may want tissue paper or shredded paper, a card, and of course you'll need a basket! Just arrange everything inside, with the largest items in the back so that everything is visible, and easy as that, you're done! I hope this is a helpful gift idea to make for the sick or injured loved ones you know. 

I look forward to your next visit!

-Lauryn

DIY Cat Lady Gift

Here is some gift inspiration for the cat lady in your life. I had a lot of fun putting this together, especially since I'm a crazy-cat-lady myself. For this gift, I used:
-A Cat Notebook (from Bealls)
-Cat Notepads (on sale at Michaels)
-I used a candle, but a cat mug would be better
-I added another notebook because it was a gift for my art teacher, who is an author, and it had her favorite quote. This could be substituted with cat jewelry or home decor.

These are just a few ideas. I will do a whole gift guide for cat ladies in the future, but for now, suffice it to say that a few practical, cat decorated items placed in a basket or bag make a great gift for the cat-lovers in your life.

I hope you found this gift idea 'paw-sitively' delightful! Or should I say 'meow-velous'?

-Lauryn

DIY Stylish Gift Basket Idea

Here is another easy gift basket that anyone would love. For a men's version, you could replace the perfume with soap or something (and use a different lotion). This gift is pretty and is practical, two things I believe gifts ought to be.To make it, you need:
-A notebook
-Lotion
-Perfume or another filler
-A candle

Place them all in a cute little basket and your good to go! Just make sure the colors coordinate. My items were all black and white.

Come again soon for more gift ideas!

-Lauryn

DIY Gift Basket for Artists/Creatives

This gift basket is perfect for teen girls, women and artists especially. You could change it up, of course, and do a boy version. It's super easy to put together. You just need:

-A little plant (the one I used was $1 on sale)

-A notebook/sketchbook

-Stickers 

-Other goodies such as a candle, sugar scrub, washi tape or paper

Place everything in a basket with tissue paper or paper shreds. Easy as that, you have a lovely, practical gift!

I hope you find this inspirational!

-Lauryn

DIY Gift Set for Photographers (Or Anyone) to Give

Here is an easy, yet special gift that fits all occasions for photographers (or really anyone) to give. I was able to buy my Buzz Book on sale, but here is where you can buy a cute Buzz Book which is a 6x6 photo album with Mohawk Matte paper and a soft, paper cover. I loved the quality. To complete the gift, I added a candle and lotion (mine were from Bath and Body Works). A photo album, candle and lotion --can't go wrong with those, right?

I hope this helps!

-Lauryn

Easy Matilda Costume Idea

Here is a super easy tutorial for a Matilda costume from Roald Dahl's book. You probably have the materials on hand already, but if not they are easy to find, and this costume takes only a few minutes to throw together. All that you need is a blue dress, preferably with half-sleeves or long-sleeves. I had mine from a thrift store sale. I suggest you carry a book or two, or a some other element from the story so that people know what character you are. This costume is very quick, and Matilda is a great literary character from an enjoyable classic. This costume is especially good for those who are looking for a costume at the last minute. Not to mention that it isn't too over-the-top, so you could even wear it to work or school.

Here is an illustration by Quentin Blake from quentinblake.com:

I hope you enjoyed! I have more costumes to share, including another Roald Dahl costume, so I'll post again soon!

-Lauryn

Easy DIY Belle Costume

Halloween is right around the corner, and as you may know, I love to create costumes. Preferably elaborate ones. However, I always seem to find myself sewing and gluing at the last minute and I know most people love a simple but elegant costume. If you find yourself or someone you know scrambling for a costume at the last minute, this is a great choice. I've seen lots of Pinterest ideas for Belle costumes, so here is my own version listed in more detail below:

For the costume you will need:

-A light blue shirt (I cut the sleeves off of a tee-shirt I had)

-A white, button-down, long-sleeved shirt.

-An apron. I handmade mine for my Alice costume.

-A light blue (puffy/circle-shaped) skirt, the same shade as the shirt. They could also be medium blue. Mine was from a thrift store.

Put those items together, and easy as that you have a Disney princess costume!

Best of all, it costed me about $2, which isn't too terribly expensive. I hope you enjoyed! I look forward to sharing more costume tutorials with you!

-Lauryn

Easy DIY Charity Costume (The Greatest Showman)

Hey, everyone! Here is a super easy tutorial for a Charity costume from "The Greatest Showman." 

You only need three items:

-A white, button-down, long-sleeve shirt with a collar (thrift stores always have them. Mine was $1)

-A dark (more or less) blue circle-type of skirt  (I'm very particular about skirts being 'puffy'. Mine was made from a dress that was $1 or so)

-A black vest (mine was made from a $0.50-$1 shirt from a thrift store)

Put them all together with the vest on top, and you have a simple, inexpensive, elegant Charity costume!

Have a nice day! I look forward to sharing more costume tutorials!
-Lauryn

Basic Invite Product Review (Including Clear Business Cards) + Coupon Codes

Hello, everyone! I am so excited to share a new product with you. Kaytee from Basic Invite kindly offered to callaborate, so here is a business card review. I chose the photo collage styled cards, but I would also like to talk about the clear business cards, which are even more unique.

My business cards were matte and of very fine quality. The photos I printed on them came out sharp, and the coloring was perfect (which is not too common with most photo-printing businesses in my experience). It was really hard to choose a design because there are so many stylish options. Another aspect I really appreciate is that customers can customize the fonts and colors; not only on the business cards, but also on the invitations. Basic Invite also offers clear business cards, which look amazing! I honestly think that a clear business card would really stand out, because come on, how many times do you get handed a clear business card?

Here are some business card links:

-Business cards

-Clear plastic business cards

-Corporate holiday cards

Here are some more photos, which are from Kaytee:

Basic Invite also offers a huge selection of holiday cards and invitations, which are definitely worth looking into with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas quickly approaching. All of them are completely customizable, from fonts to colors to sizes. There are also foil options (silver, gold, and rose gold, all with a flat or raised foil option). There are over 40 envelope colors, and all envelopes peel and seal. You can save loads of time with addressing them, because you have the option of sharing a link on social media that will request addresses, the addresses will be stored in your account, and you can simply select them instead of filling out each address individually. Recipient address printing is free for all Christmas card orders. You can find holiday cards here. These photos are also from Kaytee:

Those are just a few of countless styles and occasions. Not sure if you'll like the design? You can order samples to ensure that you chose the perfect design before ordering the quantity you need.

By the way, holiday cards are 30% off right now (code: HOL130), so I suggest you save yourself some hassel before the hectic months of Novemeber and December come, and order your cards soon!

Best of all, you can get 15% off of your purchase with the coupon code 15FF51.

You can find Basic Invite on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter with the following links.

I give Basic Invite five out of five stars. I hope you love these products as much as I do! Have fun shopping!

-Lauryn