Tricks, Treats, and Severed Feet

I had a blast working on my latest project: three custom Halloween treat bags for three very lucky little ones!  I mean, who hasn't dreamed of going into a candy store and literally buying every cool, king-sized goodie in site?  Of course, this may have been your dream 20 years ago, but trust me, you'd have fun doing it now.  My only instruction in creating these Halloween dream bags was simple: "I want king-sized candy bars.  None of that fun-sized stuff.  Small candy bars aren't fun."  Well, we wouldn't want Halloween to not be fun now would we?

I went with a "gross-out" theme for my client's five-year-old little man.  A three foot long gummi snake creeping out of his bag, a very lifelike toy cockroach, and severed foot will most likely aid in tricking his older sisters.

Sweet treats for my client's little ladies: a large sugar daddy (but of course), ring pops, candy necklaces and glitter fake tattoos surround the crowning jewel of their bags: Justin Bieber hair accessories and clip-in, neon hair pieces.  I'm not going not going to lie, their Bieber Fever takes me back to my NKOTB days.  I mean, sometimes I wake up and wonder how it's possible I'm not Mrs. Jordan Knight.  Sigh.

Whether you're escorting your ghosts and goblins around your neighborhood this evening or attending an adults-only costume parti, Happy Halloween from Gifted.  King-sized.

This One's for the Boys!

When it comes to Itsy-bitsy Glamour, the glamour-style for babies, kids and our animal friends, shopping for boys is très difficile.  My sons wardrobe is literally a quarter the size of my daughter's.  And trust me, it's not from lack of trying.  I have embarked on multiple shopping excursions with one goal in mind: find trendy threads for my LittleMan.  I'm definitely more successful when I stick to boutiques, Psycho Baby in Bucktown is a personal fave: http://www.psychobabyonline.com/ 

I've recently stumbled upon Red 21, an all boys clothing boutique in Burr Ridge and Barrington and I'm in love! They've managed to merge trendy and classic pieces perfectly.  The best part?  They have amazing promos constantly.  And when I say amazing, I mean 30% not 5% off and when I say constantly I mean once a week, not once a season.  And yes, the promos apply to brand new merchandise.  They're planning on releasing a website with online ordering mid-November, perfect timing for holiday shopping!  For now, like them on Facebook and sign up for their email list.  I mean, seriously...how absolutely adorable are these hats?? 

 

Green is the New Black: Thank Goodness it Looks Good on Me!

Seriously, I have green eyes and an olive skin tone...I can pull of any shade.  Yes, even the mustardy one.  But I'm not referring to the result of the infamous yellow-seduces-blue scandal.  Au contraire.  I'm referring to the eco movement, or as I like to call it: Green Glamour.  Two years ago, I began following Homemade Mothering, a blog dedicated to living an eco-conscious lifestyle.  Now, my personal glamour style is Luxe Glamour: extravagant, dramatic and over-the-top.  But Homemade Mothering inspired me to adopt some eco-chic habits.  One of the ways I incorporate Green Glamour into Gifted is by thinking inside the box: using hatboxes as packaging.  They're beautiful, cost-effective and totally reusable!  I love these styles from Hobby Lobby but more importantly, my clients and recipients love them too.  It's a great way to glamorously go green, and unlike every sweater shade, it will definitely look good on you.  

 

Hello, I'm Gifted!

Recently my love of shopping merged with my love of glamour and Gifted by Amy was created!  A concierge gift shopping service, Gifted's motto is: Give Glamorously.  I believe that no matter who you are shopping for or what the occasion may be, your gift should be charmingly and uniquely attractive.  Of course, that doesn't mean that every gift I purchase for my family, friends or clients is extravegant and over-the-top.  Au contraire.  A key element in the art of giving glamorously is keeping your recipients style and taste in mind throughout the entire gifting process.  Par example:  for my eco-chic friend's birthday, I gave her a pair of super-cute, glitter Toms shoes.  The packaging?  The Toms box tied with a simple, reusable ribbon.  Of course, my friend would certainly love any gift I gave her, but she truly appreciated my taking her passion into account with not only the actual present, but the presents presentation. 

Now, this process comes very natural to me...let's call it a gift.  But many of my friends have shared with me that for them, gifting is not only not-so-natural, but the process of deciding on, shopping for, purchasing and packaging a gift can be frustrating and time consuming.  Of course, this doesn't mean they don't want to give something thoughtful and unique, it just means they have busy schedules.  J'entre!  I truly love to shop...for everyone.  And I have so much fun helping my clients present perfect presents, that I thought writing about it would just add to it!  So, enjoy mes amis!