Ladyface Blog Holiday Giveaway!- CLOSED

Hi guys! Today I'm excited to share a holiday giveaway from yours truly!

Since I started blogging about 7 months ago, I've been blown away by how supportive everyone has been in this blogging community. On a daily basis, I feel so thankful to have such amazing readers and am truly touched that you are choosing to spend part of your day with me on my blog.  So, I wanted to do a little giveaway this holiday season to say thank you!

This giveaway includes some of my favorite things, including some lovely items I've made just for you! If you win, you'll receive:

- 1 Theo Chocolate Coconut Mint milk chocolate bar (my current favorite!)
- 1 Theo Chocolate Vanilla Nib dark chocolate bar (my other favorite!)
- 1 jar of Sriracha Salt
- 1 lovely pendant necklace
- 1 jar of chamomile mint tea
- 1 crocheted bow hair pin!

So! If you'd like to enter to win, just use the Rafflecopter widget below. The giveaway runs through December 19th, and I'll be sure to contact the winner shortly after. I can't guarantee I can get things to you by Christmas, but I'll sure try!

Best of luck, and thanks again for being so amazing!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Til next time!

-Becca

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My Christmas List!

1. Latte Bowls in Blue: Anthropologie

2. The More the Rosemary Dress: ModCloth

3. Bonnie & Clyde Glasses in Cinnamon: BonLook

4. Izabel Mini-wedges: Anthropologie

5. Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt in Merlot: ModCloth

6. Laura Dress: Boden

7. Mini Latte Bowls in Green: Anthropologie

8. Everybody Now Top: ModCloth

9. Stanley Thermoses in Green: West Elm

10. Suede Woodland Booties: Anthropologie

Well guys, you may have picked up by now that I really love giving gifts, but let's be real, receiving gifts ain't too shabby either! So, today, I thought I'd share my Christmas list with you!

This year I'm wishing for some lovely basics to gussy up my closet and my kitchen. 

On the kitchen side, I can't get enough of these latte bowls from Anthropologie. I have a few already, but I'd love to add to the set with this collection of pretty blues. I also find that I can never have enough little tiny bowls for my mise en place when I'm cooking, so I'm pretty head-over-heels for the mini version of the latte bowls. Too cute! I also love the super classic look of these Stanley Thermoses, and even though I maybe don't need them, I do really want them...

I'm also after a couple of cozy winter dresses like this darling green polka dot one from ModCloth and this classic grey wool sweater dress from Boden. I also mayyyyyyy have shrunk my favorite western-looking gingham shirt earlier this year and think thise adorable top from ModCloth would be a great replacement. And how cute would this skirt be with it? Love!

I'm also still looking for some new shoes to take me through winter, and LOVE these suede and leather combo booties and these olive, textured mini wedges, both from Anthropologie. Ok, fine, I know these aren't the most practical picks for rainy Seattle, but I have a devil-may-care attitude when it comes to shoe materials. Suede in the rain is totally fine, right? Right. (Come on guys, just go with it!)

Last on the list is another lovely pair of glasses from BonLook. I've been rocking the Bonnie and Clyde glasses in Mystic Blue quite a bit since I got them earlier this fall and would love to have a pair in this pretty cinnamon color to round out my glasses wardrobe.

Well, that's my list! What are you wishing for this year?

Til next time!

-Becca

P.S. If you're still doing some Christmas shopping, ModCloth is offering 20% off on all gifts through the 15th! Be sure to stop by and check out some sweet deals!

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DIY Gift Idea: Chamomile Mint Tea

Hi guys! Today I'm sharing a super quick and easy gift idea: Chamomile Mint Tea!

You may have picked up on it by now, but the bulk section at the grocery store is one of my very favorite things. Not only can you find super cheap grains, but you can also find spices and tea for a fraction of the cost you would pay for the pre-packaged versions.

I had been toying with the idea of making my own tea blend recently, and had been brainstorming lots of ideas. While rooibos chai is still in the back of my mind, I decided to whip up some Chamomile Mint tea. It's such a tasty tea that's perfect to curl up and relax with. I had fun blending it myself, partially because the ingredients are so lovely, but also because I could really fine tune the flavor to my liking!

I make it sound complicated, but it's the easiest thing in the world. The best part is, once you pack it up in cute little jars and tie it up with a bow, you've got a darling, inexpensive gift!

Here's how to make it!

Ingredients/Supplies:
- Dried Chamomile
- Dried Peppermint
- Small Jars
- Ribbon/Yarn

To get started, I made a couple of test batches to get the ratios right. I found that if I did two parts chamomile to one part peppermint, I got a great balance. Not so much mint that it overpowered the chamomile, but not so little that you couldn't taste it.

Once I got the flavor to my liking, I filled up a jar 3/4 of the way full with two parts chamomile and one part peppermint. I then closed up the jar, and gave it a few shakes to combine. The picture above shows the blend. Seriously, how pretty is that?

Next, pack the blend up into some cute little jars! I ended up filling 6 with the amount of ingredients that I bought.

Last, just tie on a little bow and you've got an adorable gift! If you wanted to really take it home, you could pair this gift with a super cute tea ball and you'd have an amazing stocking stuffer!

I hope you enjoyed this lovely, easy gift idea!

Til next time!

-Becca

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Homemade Gift Guide

Well, guys, it's official. I've gone completely nuts. I've decided to make all of my Christmas presents this year.

Yep. I'll be working overtime all month, posting here 4-5 days a week, and yet have somehow decided I can totally find time to make all of my presents. Well, while it may be a little over-ambitious, I really love the idea of giving my friends and family handmade gifts and love knowing that I'll put extra love into each and every one.

Today, I'm sharing some of my favorite, gift-worthy projects that I've put together on Ladyface Blog! Hopefully some of these ideas will inspire you to do some homemade and handmade gifting this year!

First on the list, are these pretty color-blocked Painted Cork Coasters. 

These cute coasters are super simple to make, and can be easily customized to feature the recipient's favorite colors. How cute would these look stacked up and wrapped with a little bow?

Next up, is one of my favorite projects I've ever done: String Art Portrait Plaques.

These are super fun, and relatively simple to put together. The ones I created are portraits of my cats, Buddy and Hank, and myself. Using side-view silhouette portraits, you could make one for anyone you know! You could also take the idea and run with it to create a set of initials, a home state, or the image of your choosing. String art is super fun!

Both these Crocheted Bow Hair Pins and these Fabric Bow Hair Pins would make great stocking stuffers! It only takes a few minutes to make each one, so you could make up a whole slew of these to give to  all of the adorable ladies in your life!

If you're still on the hunt for great hair accessories for gifting, this Wire Headband would be a great choice! You can whip them up in no time in all sorts of different colors and patterns, and they look great!

An Embroidered Pendant Necklace would also make a lovely little stocking stuffer. This is actually the first project I ever did on Ladyface Blog and remains one of my favorites. The tutorial shows how to make a gingham embroidered pendant, but I've also whipped them up with a chevron pattern, a honeycomb pattern, or initials. If you've got a knack for embroidery, the possibilities are endless!

You could also whip up a Wire Word Necklace! If you know a lady who can rock a good statement piece, this would make  perfect gift. It's also totally customizable and could easily be made as another word or as the name of the recipient!

And hey! If you're looking for a less time-consuming jewelry option, these Clip-On Earring Pendant Necklaces come together in no time. Since clip-on earrings come in sets of two (duh), it would be darling to give these as a pair of friendship necklaces!

Last, but certainly not least, these Printable Canning Jar Labels are the perfect way to get your home-canned goods ready for gift giving! Print them out on pretty paper, cut them out, add them to your jars and you're ready to go! You could even tie a pretty ribbon around the jar ring to make them really special.

Well, I hope these projects have helped inspire you to do some homemade gift giving this year!

I'm certainly excited to get my homemade gifts together! Wish me luck!

Til next time!

-Becca

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Flavored Salt

Hey guys!

Today I'm excited to talk about Flavored Salt! I know, leave it to me to want to make salt all fancy. Well, making flavored salt is SO easy, that I'm going to share three different versions with you today: Sriracha Salt, Lemon Salt, and Balsamic Salt.

Any of these can be used in many different applications. You could toss them on homemade popcorn, use them as a finishing salt, or straight up cook with them! I'm imagining Sriracha Salt popcorn, truffles finished with Balsmaic Salt, and some tasty chicken seasoned with Lemon Salt. So good, right?

I'm not just excited about sharing this recipe/tutorial because it's delicious, I'm also excited because these flavored salts would make a really lovely homemade gift for the holidays! You could package up one flavor, or you could make people really swoon by giving all three as a set. Put these up in tiny little jars wrapped in ribbon, and boy have you got a gift!

Ok! Let's get started, shall we?

First up, Ingredients! Now, I made small batches of each of these, but it's super easy to scale up if you are making more.

Ingredients:

For Sriracha Salt:
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 3 tsp Sriracha

For Lemon Salt:
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
- 2 tsp lemon juice

For Balsamic Salt:
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

2. Add the flavor to the salt and mix until well combined.

3. Spread the salt mixture out on your baking sheet. If you're making all three flavors in the amounts specified, you should be able to fit all three flavors on one sheet. If you're making a ton of each flavor, I would definitely recommend separate baking sheets.

4. Put the baking sheets in the oven, close the door immediately, and turn off the heat. Let sit in the oven for 2-3 hours, or until the salt is dry.

5. Once the salt is removed from the oven, use your hands (or a mortar and pestle if you're fancy!) to separate the clumps, and then put into small jars or airtight containers for storage.

Ta-da!!!! With approximately no effort, you've got yourself a set of delicious flavored salts! Seriously, how pretty do these look in these cute little glass containers?

Whether you're looking for a great homemade gift option, or just a tasty addition to your spice cabinet, I hope you get to try out some Flavored Salt soon!

Til next time!

-Becca

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Datevitation Review and Giveaway! - CLOSED

Hey guys!

Today I'm excited to share a giveaway from one of my lovely sponsors, Datevitation!

Now, if you were anything like me as a kid, you probably loved putting together coupon books as gifts for your family members. Well, Datevitation has taken that idea and run with it to help you create gorgeous coupon books for your loved ones!

The options for the Datevitation coupon books are pretty endless. In fact, you can choose from over 500 different activity ideas and over 100 different covers! I chose to create one for my mom for her birthday, but this would make an amazing holiday gift for a family member, a friend, or a significant other. I loved the different cover image options and had a ton of fun putting mine together.

My favorite part of the whole process was using the Add Your Faces feature! It added a fun, personal touch, that both my mom and I got a big kick out of!

My Datevitation love coupon book arrived in this adorable "Surprise," envelope, which made it perfect for gift giving. My mom ended up completely loving it, and the rest of my family was blown away by how cute it was! I think my mom is the most excited about the computer lesson coupon!

Books normally start at just $25, so it makes for a thoughtful, yet economical gift. As a special treat for Ladyface Blog readers, you can use the code, LADYFACE, to receive $10 off your purchase, plus free shipping (total value of 13.50). That means you can get your loved one a one-of-a-kind, super thoughtful gift for just $15! The cut-off date for guaranteed delivery by Christmas is December 13, so make sure to get your order in soon!

Oh, and did I mention Datevitation is giving away a custom coupon book to one lucky Ladyface Blog reader? Just use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!

The giveaway runs through December 9th and one lucky winner will be chosen shortly after! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Til next time!

-Becca

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Printable Canning Jar Labels

Hi guys! Today I'm here to share a fun project that I worked on with me sweet cousin, Joy!

About a month ago Joy asked if I would be interested in working on some canning labels with her. If you check out her website, Imagine Joy, you can see why I was so thrilled with the idea! Joy does the most amazing calligraphy, and is one of the most lovely and talented people I know, so I jumped at the chance to work with her. I was happy to come along for the ride and provide my feedback, as well as to work with her to turn her beautiful artwork into a free printable document, but Joy was really the mastermind behind this project.

These canning labels will definitely help turn your homemade goods into super cute gifts! All you have to do is print them, cut them out, and label them with the contents of the jar. Then, just lay the label on top of the flat lid of your jar, and screw the ring band on to hold it in place!

You can print them on plain printer paper, or if you want to get fancy, buy some pretty card stock and make them even cuter. I think they look amazing on kraft colored card stock, but the possibilities are pretty much endless.

So, help yourself to these super cute canning labels, and label away!

Printable Regular Mouth Canning Labels

Printable Wide Mouth Canning Labels

And, be sure to check out more of Joy's beautiful work over at Imagine Joy!

Til next time!

-Becca

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DIY Tags for Mason Jars!

Alright guys, this post is going to start off with a lot of qualifiers. Here we go!

If you're like me and you like canning, and you like giving your delicious canned goods as gifts, you may find yourself looking for a cute easy way to jazz up your jars! So how about trying these super cute tags for mason jars? It's a fun way to bring a little life to them and make them a little giftier.

And hey, even if you don't can, you can always use this basic concept to make cute tags for any old thing! 

Here's what you'll need to make them:

Supplies:

• Tags appropriately sized for your jars and stamp.
• A jar shaped stamp like this one.
• Stamp ink, which is not pictured because some dummy, I can't even begin to know who *ahem*, forgot to put it in the picture.
• A pen that matches your ink. If you're not into matching, totally feel free to use different colors.
• Washi tape in a pattern and color of your choosing.
• Scissors
• Baker's twine. If you have string already lying around you should totally make your own baker's twine using this tutorial over on Radical Possibility!

Step One! 

Apply your washi tape to the edges of your tag. I recommend doing the long sides first, then the short sides, then the diagonals. Be sure to trim off the excess at the ends every time you apply the tape to one of the sides so you can keep everything nice and neat.

Also, be sure to leave plenty of clearance for your stamp! When I placed my tape I would say I set it up so 1/3 of the width was on the front of the tag and the other 2/3 of the width got folded to the back side of the tag.

Step Two!

Press your stamp into your ink and then press your stamp onto the tag.

To help with placement, I usually put the stamp on its end and try to center the design, then rock it down onto the tag. I'm really not great at telling where the stamp is centered on the block so I find this method incredibly helpful!

Step Three!

Write on your tag! I did my best attempt at fancy lettering and wrote the contents of the jar in the jar stamped on the tag (woah.), which in this case was Sour Cherry Preserves. I also always put the best by date on the bottom of the tag so the recipient knows when to use the contents by.

Step four!

Attach your tags to your jars using the baker's twine, tie a bow and call it a day!

I hope you enjoyed this quick tutorial and hope you will now go forth and make adorable tags for every canning and gifting occasion.

Til next time!

-Becca

P.S. I am clearly a fan of the good old exclamation point. Ya'll would be shocked to see how many are in a post before I edit! Oof.