Pretty Presents

As I finished wrapping most of our gifts (a few last minute additions are being shipped) last night, I kept thinking about how simple but pretty my gifts looked under our tree this year.

I love getting a deal on cute wrapping paper, and have been known to buy those little rolls from the Target dollar section, or  buy rolls of large wrapping paper after Christmas at 50% or 75% off. However, most of the time, the paper is thin, and not as cute the following year as you originally thought when you bought it at discount. This year, I was so pleased with my wrapping paper find, that I just had to share!

I ended up getting the brown paper with gold stars and red gingham at... the dollar store!! At $1 a roll, I think I bought 4 of each for all of the gifts!  And I love how the brown paper is thick and creases nicely. I also buy my Scotch tape in 2-packs from the dollar store.

The green fabric bows are made from giant spools of ribbon that I bought at Michaels on Black Friday. Seriously, I stock up every year on Black Friday at Michaels.... they have great sales, and this year, they had a coupon for an additional 30% off your entire purchase if you went before 9am. I bought four giant spools of ribbon, and total I paid $6. The gift tags I found at Target for $2 for a pack of 60, and the colors go perfect with the muted tones of the paper and ribbon.

So basically, for ALL my wrapping paper, bows, tags, and tape, I spent less than $20. And the best part is, I can use the left over wrapping paper for different events throughout the year! Can anyone beat that?!

Lift Spirits

It is a pretty hot and rainy day here in Florida, and I was swamped with work that made my head spin. At lunch, I ran out to grab some lunch at Fresh Market, and after picking up my new favorite sesame soba noodle salad, I browsed the drink case for some flavored water. On the third shelf down, sitting all by itself, was a drink that caught my eye: Carolina Honey sweet tea by Argo Tea. It was in the cutest glass bottle, although I almost had a heart attack when I saw it was $2.50! But it was too late... after reading the label of black tea, wildflower honey, and hit of lemon, I was suddenly craving sweet tea. Not to mention, the cute honeybee and bright green top had me at hello.

As soon as I opened the bottle, the beautiful smell of the wildflower honey hit me, and I was in heaven. And the tea was perfectly sweet and strong, and gone in no time. After my satisfying lunch, I quickly searched the internet for Argo Teas, and was surprised to find out that they have tea shops in Chicago and New York, aside from selling their loose teas and bottled beverages online and in markets across the country. They are also very passionate about creating a sustainable and earth friendly product and business. What a cool company!




My favorite part was their bottle. I am going to recycle it in my kitchen for something... it is a great shape, and has a large, wide mouth. And you can't beat the lid that reads: TWIST CAP  -   LIFT SPIRIT.



No more dreary day for me. Spirits lifted, indeed!



I was not compensated or asked to write this post. Just sharing something that I love!

Eleni's New York - Cookies

Valentine's Day candy and gifts hit the shelves the day after Christmas this year. And as much as I dislike Valentine's Day, I do love the candy and cookies associated with it. One of my favorite and very well known cookie companies is Eleni's in New York. You can purchase their cookies through their website, or other major retailers like Dean and Deluca. 

My favorite part about their cookies is their icing. I am not a huge icing fan... I don't go for the thick fluffy stuff. I like theirs because it is thin and crispy, but sweet! And today on One Kings Lane, you can buy their Valentine's Day sets on sale! If you are not a member of One Kings Lane, go here to become one!

Months ago, I was looking for a new Christmas cookie recipe online, and found an Eleni's Cookie recipe. At this time, I am not sure where I found it to give credit where credit is due, or to verify if it is the actual cookie recipe. However, it looks pretty close to what Eleni's makes, so try it out! Here's the recipe:

Eleni's Sugar Cookie Recipe

• 5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ cups unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar using a paddle attachment until light and fluffy for three to five minutes. Add the eggs one by one and vanilla and slowly mix to combine. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle.

Add the dry ingredients last and mix just until combined.

Divide the dough in half and shape into a circle onto parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll – about two hours. Roll approximately ¼-inch thick and cut into desired shapes.

Bake on parchment lined sheet tray until firm and golden around the edges – about nine to 11 minutes, depending on the size. Cool completely before icing. Yields about five dozen two-inch cookies.

Eleni's Royal Icing

• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 4 cups sifted ten times confectionary sugar
• 6 tablespoons warm water


Beat all ingredients on low speed seven to 10 minutes until icing forms peaks. It is important to keep all utensils and equipment grease free or the icing won't set properly. For stiffer icing, use one tablespoon less water. For thinner icing, add one teaspoon water per cup of royal icing. Add ½ teaspoon water at a time until you reach proper consistency.

Leave me a comment and let me know how they turn out!!!

I did not receive compensation by either Eleni's New York or One Kings Lane for the contents of this post. I just really like their stuff!