With a little embellishment

REAL SIMPLE WRAPPING: Thanks to Design*Sponge, here are some interesting and creative (and inexpensive!) wrapping ideas to make your holiday gifts that much more special. They are all made with items you have around the house, or office, or can buy uber-cheap at the dollar store!

The top, is a pom-pom made of crepe paper (for instructions, click here); the middle, simple paper with added black labels made into circles with a paper punch; and the bottom, simple metal rimmed tags in varying sizes make a cute and minimalistic snowman.

Flowering substitutions

With the economy in the shape it's in, you want to save money in every way that you can, however, that doesn't mean not having fresh flowers around! Bon Marriage talks about substitutions for your favorite over-the-top-expensive flowers. These carnations, — which look a whole lot like peonies — are adorable. Carnations are not only very inexpensive and available all year round, they are totally making a comeback. Also, I've never seen these muscari, but I really like them for their wonderful texture and unique shape. Better than hyacinths in my mind! Another great place to look for flower inspiration and advice is Bride's Flower Finder.

Free design goodies

CHIC FOR FREE: A relatively new blog on the scene has caught my eye and I wanted to share: Free Design Goodies, a side project of Summer Allen-Gibson's Design Is Mine site, is an awesome one-stop-shop to see all the clipart, stationary templates, desktop wallpapers, etc. that various sites are offering for free. I have used it a couple times already and use it a lot just for inspiration. Check it out for your next birthday cards, dinner invitations or bridesmaids gifts (the stationary is perfect for this!).

Getting fruity

LookGirl in the Kitchen posted a great recipe that would be the perfect dessert for an upcoming party, whether outdoor barbecue or Sunday brunch with the gals:

GRILLED FRUIT KABOBS
Get outside and use the grill with this seasonal favorite — mixing and matching for the best of what's at the peak of pickability. (OK, so I just made up that word, but you get the point.)

Drunk pop

Perfect for the hot days closing out the summer months, these unique twists on the frozen margarita sounds like such a fun idea for a backyard party!

Try this recipe from Bon Appétite, which couldn’t be any easier either: you basically take lime flavored ice pops or fruit bars, pour a mixture of tequila and lime juice over them, then lightly dip 1 edge of the pop into kosher salt.

Another approach could be to first mix up your own margaritas then freeze them into pops and dip in salt. Here’s a great recipe for this version from Emeril Lagassi via Food Network:

INGREDIENTS
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons tequila
• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
• Kosher salt, for garnish Special Equipment:
• 4 small cups (recommended: Dixie), 4 popsicle sticks

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine sugar, lime juice, water, lemon juice and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. Once cool transfer to a blender with tequila, orange liqueur, and lime wedge and process until smooth.
3. Pour into the cups and cover the top of each cup with foil. Place the popsicle stick in center of cup (down through foil, which will hold it in place).
4. Freeze until hard, preferably overnight.
5. Remove from freezer and run cup under warm water to loosen popsicle. Garnish with kosher salt and serve.

Carryall

A BAKER'S NEW BEST FRIEND: Bring your special-recipe pies, cupcakes or brownies to the party, and now, all in one piece with Bakers Sto 'n Go. With more than 10 groves to adjust the shelves to any height, you can take virtually any combination of treats on the road. And the all-plastic design makes it easy to wash, easy to store (the handle comes off for flat storage) and hard to break. Everyone will be asking not only for your recipe, but how you decorated such masterpieces.

Bloomin' Table

Martha Stewart's ideas for spring included these adorable rose napkins — with instructions — that are so easy to fold and so elegant for a Sunday brunch party with the gals.

Artisan baking

DYE-CUT WONDERS: Look how easy it is to go from a kid's party to a grown-up's party, still utilizing the desert of the moment, cupcakes. These chic, laser-cut wrappers come in a variety of colors, making them perfect for a cupcake tower for any type of party. They'd also be a great way to present a party favor, and you can fill them with others treats besides just cupcakes — think your favorite mini candy or a stack of some cookies.

Designs pictured above are from Estilo Weddings (But another good source for laser-cut cupcake wrappers is Paper Orchid.):
Row 1: Filigree, White Butterflies, Ivy Vine
Row 2: Teapots, Sea Shells, Palm Tree
Row 3: Happy Flowers, White Stars, Black Stars

Equal play

LookGirl in the Kitchen posted a recipe this week that could easily be multiplied for a great spring-summer get together. The recipe only makes one, but it would be really easy to make a big batch in a pitcher, just don't let them sit too long because of the soda water.

MIXED BERRY MOJITO
Ingredients:
8-12 fresh mint leaves
3-4 fresh blackberries
3-4 fresh blueberries
3-4 fresh red raspberries
1/8 cup lime juice
2-4 teaspons Equal Spoonful or 1-2 packets Equal sweetener
1/4 cup soda water
1/4 cup light rum
1 mint sprig

Directions:
1. Carefully press mint leaves into the bottom of the glass with the back of a wooden spoon to release their oils (do not tear leaves).
2. Mix mint, crushed wild berries, lime juice and Equal in a highball glass.
3. Fill glass with crushed ice (cubed ice will not work).
4. Stir well until the ice is reduced by 1/3 and then top with more crushed ice, stirring until the glass begins to frost on the outside.
5. Pour in rum and soda water and stir again. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.