A little box

Need a small package for that little something you just picked up for Valentine's Day? Patricia at A Little Hut has got you covered! Pick up the template for her little boxes and gift cards here for $3.99 each. Cheaper than Hallmark! (via Poppytalk)

A personal touch

I recently received an e-mail about Erin Condren Design and couldn't resist giving her site a shout out. Her assortment of paper products can all be personalized with your name and greeting, and she has an array of terrific holiday greeting cards. I love the simplicity of her designs - it let's the name and message stand on their own.

Check out the Holiday Reflections Card - you can personalize it with your own memories!

My favorite has got to be her personalized gift wrap - who needs labels?!

New gift wrap at shopsins

Shopsin's is an ode to simpler times. One page, a few products, and a catalog-esque order form. Recently added to their list of goods is "Jokewrap" - double-sided wrapping paper with a joke on one side and the punch line on the other. One question: Will your giftee be more interested in what's inside or the punch line? I think you can learn a lot about a person from using this gift wrap...

Matthew Mead: Style Genius?

Black.White.Bliss reminded me of one of my favorite party inspiration sites - Matthew Mead Style. His ideas are genius and I know for a fact he could out dress any table in the New England area (sorry Martha). His fall site is up, and some of his amazing downloads include jack-o-lantern inspired wine glasses, with an orange cocktail recipe; Halloween treat boxes and Halloween giftwrap; and thanksgiving place holders and favor boxes. Perfection!

Bacon, Bacon, Bacon!!!!

Speaking of salt, who doesn't love bacon? (Okay, maybe that wasn't the best segue, but moving on...) Shelterrific posted this link about a BLT-scented candle trio that was featured in Rachel Ray's mag, and as weird as it sounds, I bet I know some people who would absolutely love it! And if you know someone who would like a bacon-inspired gift, here are a few suggestions:
The BLT candle trio (mentioned above), $33.95 at the Grateful Palate.

Bacon Salt, because "everything should taste like bacon." Don't ask me how these guys did it, they actually invented a seasoning that tastes like bacon, but doesn't actually have bacon as an ingredient (some things are better left unknown). Bacon salt also boasts no fat and no calories. What's not to love? Available in Original, Peppered, and Hickory ($12.99 for the sampler).

The only thing I can think of that's better than smelling or eating bacon taste is wearing it! Well, not really, but this bacon scarf looks mighty tasty to me! ($39.95 at Shopsin's General Store, via Ohgizmo.com).

Now that you have all these bacon products, what do you wrap them in? Why, bacon gift wrap of course! $3.95 for 2 20''x30'' sheets, available at Merch-bot.com.

Overlapping Squares Chair Ornament [Squeal!!]

How freakin cute are these chair ornaments from West Elm? Okay, I know most people wouldn't think to buy ornaments in chair shapes, but wouldn't this be great to tie on to a gift box or gift card from West Elm? Did I just see a light bulb go off over your head too? ($8.00, found via Happy Mundane.)

Grown-up Gift Wrap

Be the envy of the party when you show up with a gift wrapped in this paper from Erin Ruth that I saw over at decor8. The contrasting ribbons make these gifts look so sophisticated. According to her site, the paper will be available in October. I also love her inspirational ideas, like a wine bottle wrapped in paper or place cards with a bit of wrapping paper. It looks like the site is just getting started so I'm sure there will be more to come!