rolling pin wrapping paper DIY

Posted by kait / December 19, 2012

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I can’t get enough of fun DIY wrapping ideas! From glitzy and glitter to the super simple – I love it all. I think that the fact you put work into creating a beautiful package to enclose your lovely gift in means almost more than the gift itself. I have working on a DIY Wrappings series for Swerve Magazine all month long and have been loving every minute of it. Not to mention, while I am doing the DIY, I am also multi-tasking by wrapping my Christmas gifts! Perfect.

Today I am excited to share a unique approach to printing your wrapping paper using a rolling pin and foam shapes. I drew and cut out the shapes I wanted for my cute and wintery paper design. Glued them onto the wooden rolling pin and away I went. See the whole DIY here.

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I also had the opportunity to meet with some of amazing gift wrapping experts at Papyrus at The CORE and they shared everything I need to know to create the most perfect bow for your Christmas gifts this year. Hint: you’ll need two rolls of wired ribbon to achieve this incredible bow. Thanks Papyrus for the top secret tip!

Glitz & Glam Gift Wrap DIY

Posted by kait / December 18, 2012

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So excited to share one of my favourite giftwrapping DIYs over at Swerve Magazine with you – the Glitz & Glam Holiday Gift Wrap. Using the most beautiful luxe wrapping paper from one of the best gift & card shops out there, Papyrus, I have created the ultimate kitsch gift wrappings. Totally inspired by both Andy Warhol and Barbie, you’ll be sure to dazzle any glitter lover this Christmas. To see the full DIY project, click here!

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Happy Friday!

Posted by kait / November 30, 2012

Happy Friday, friends! I am sooo looking forward to getting in some rest & relaxation this weekend. It has been a crazy busy two weeks with endless meetings, events and deadlines. It doesn’t exactly stop here but I definitely am planning a bit of a computer detox over the weekend. Let’s see how I do with that, haha!

This snapshot is of my new white tree which we will be decorating over the weekend and getting our house all Christmas-afied! A big Christmas party this weekend with Byron’s company and our annual family tree trimming celebration at my parents. Can’t wait to decorate, eat loads of great things and do some more karaoke (we just bought my parents a karaoke machine for their 35th anniversary!)!

Happy weekend. xo

holiday cheer! deck the halls gift ideas!

Posted by kait / November 26, 2012

Holiday Gift Guide #5: Deck the Halls – Home Gift Guide

It seems as though we need the American Thanksgiving pass for us to officially feel that the holiday season has begun. I know many people who have already put up their tree and started decorating their homes – but do not despair – you still have plenty of time to get your home looking like a shimmering example of Christmas goodness. This is my last guest post for the series and while I walked around the CORE looking for these gorgeous gifts, I definitely felt that child-like excitement building up inside of me – I just can’t wait to officially be on holidays!

I pulled together some really great pieces to decorate your home with the holidays – they all have a design-inspired spin to them – graphic, bold and charming. I found this regal pinecone candlestick holder (01.) at Indigo and immediately pictured several of them down the center of a table setting. Perfect for Christmas dinner!

I am addicted to buying pretty patterned skinny candles right now – stripes, colour-blocked and argyle! These beautiful Channakuh candles (02.) at Papyrus are the most gorgeous shades of icy blue.

Pantone is everywhere now – including your Christmas Tree. Holt Renfrew is carrying these shiny and colourful Pantone ball ornaments (03.) this year and are the perfect gift for anyone who works in art and design. Plus, you can choose your favourite colours!

Roots has been carrying more and more unique items and their holiday collection is an excellent example of fabulous gift ideas. This 2013 Wood Stump Calendar (04.) is absolutely inspired. Simple and natural paired with beautifully illustrated calendar cards – this gift keeps on giving each month.

Nothing better than a mug, is there? This big cream and gold mug (05.) from Starbucks will keep your beverages hot while you watch It’s A Wonderful Life for the 20th time! Delicate design details make this a great gift for anyone who enjoys hot chocolate or a great coffee.

Stock up on these great items to deck the halls at Twas The Night! Buy your tickets for the biggest private shopping night ever, Twas the Night at The Core on November 28th!

You can find all these great gifts in downtown Calgary at The CORE:

01. Pinecone Taper – Large, IndigoSpirit, $24.50

02. Embossed Candles, Papyrus, $12.95

03. Pantone Ornament, Holt Renfrew, $18

04. Wood Stump Calendar, Roots, $19.95

05. Rosanna Boxed Mug, Starbucks, $12.95

my stella & dot online trunk show!

Posted by kait / November 20, 2012

I am so excited to share my online Stella & Dot Trunk Show! I am so glad to have you join me virtually in shopping for your holiday baubles! Over the weekend I got together with my friend and Stella & Dot Stylist, Nathalie Tang to pick out my favourite pieces of the collection and photograph them. So much beauty – it was hard to choose which ones I loved the best.

The great thing about an online trunk show is that you can shop the collection of high quality and celebrity-coveted accessories from the comfort of your home! Simply settle in, browse our full collection and place your order here: http://www.stelladot.com/ts/mmjl5

ONLINE TRUNK SHOW NOV 17th-DEC 2nd.
LAST DAY!!! SHOW CLOSES DEC. 2 AT 11:59 PM

Order online: http://www.stelladot.com/ts/mmjl5
Or through my Stella & Dot Stylist, Nathalie Tang: nathalietang@hotmail.ca

**All items are shipped directly to your home. Order will arrive in about 5-7 business days. Great for holiday gifts and partys!Please don’t hesitate to email Nathalie at nathalietang@hotmail.ca for any questions you might have!

Happy shopping!

first look: chinook centre’s holiday reveal

Posted by kait / November 17, 2012

If someone asked you to get in a limo, grab a flute of prosecco and be whisked away to a top secret location – what would you do?

I decided that being whisked away in luxury is exactly my kind of mysterious adventure. I was invited by Chinook Centre along with several other Calgary bloggers (AniaB., Kara Chomistek, Irene Seto and Vincent Law among other fabulous creatures!) and we crawled into our shiny limos and were immediately presented with delicious bubbly for the ride to our mysterious destination. I tried to look out the window to gather clues for our destination but could not even distinguish the road in the darkness.

Finally, after a wrong turn (it was THAT top secret) we arrived at Heavy Industries. At first, we were totally confused about being smack-dab in the middle of an industrial park but we were quickly introduced to the main event of the night. We entered the workshop to meet the polar bear family that would be unveiled in Chinook Centre’s new north end center court! Creatively designed and beautiful, these polar bears will become an exciting addition to Chinook Centre’s holiday decor. We were then led to the parking lot (I know that parking lot doesn’t sound too glamourous) and were presented with delicious treats and yummy beverages from the ice bar. The weather seemed to be turning extra cold so I spent the remainder of the evening huddled under a white fuzzy blanket sipping Hot Chocolate with Baileys and eating mushroom caps!

A beautiful wintery evening…

holiday cheer! christmas shopping must-haves!

Posted by kait / October 31, 2012

It is not even quite November yet and I am already SO excited to embrace 2012′s holiday season. I’m not sure if you are anything like me, but year after year I have every good intention of getting my Christmas shopping done well in advance, yet somehow that plan always gets abandoned and I find myself frantically searching for those perfect gifts. This year will be different and I hope to help you (and myself!) find some extra special gifts for the amazing people in our lives.

This is the first installment of a little holiday shopping series I am working on with The CORE leading up to their incredible second annual Christmas shopping night event, T’was The Night. I was in attendance last year and let me tell you that there was every bit of glitz, glamour and music that you would expect from a sparkly holiday shopping party. There was so much charm to the evening, with the massive Christmas tree lighting to delicious treats and giftwrapping services – it almost felt like you were in one of those 1950s Christmas movies in the department stores of the past. I loved it.

Since it isn’t officially the holiday season until we say bye-bye to our carved pumpkins, today I am sharing my favourite things to gift yourself before you begin your Christmas shopping expedition. We all need those perfect items to keep us looking good, hydrated and within budget and I’ve got the perfect finds right here to get your started!

01. The perfect gift is only truly perfect if it is wrapped up beautifully as well. While you can always go with the classic brown paper packages tied up with string route, I am opting for something a bit more opulent. Papyrus, located on the main level of The CORE, has an absolutely incredible selection of wrapping papers for just about every occasion. Their holiday collection is stunning and comes in classic prints like a red tartan and Santa’s sleigh imagery. My fave of the bunch? The gorgeous and quirky Owls in Trees papers!

02. A unique Christmas card is honestly hard to come by which is why this hilarious card stopped me dead in my holiday shopping tracks. More than just books, Indigo has a great selection of holiday cards and gifts. This card will do any mantel proud this holiday season.

03. Avoid the last minute hustle and bustle (and dipping into your savings) by using this handy-dandy money and receipt tracker. Keep your shopping lists for all the special people in your life along with your spending budget, it really is the perfect solution to temptation of impulse buys and straying off budget.

04. I fell in love with this gorgeous red leather tote from the GAP on first look alone. Boxy and roomy, this tote will have the mileage and room to take you from one end of The Core and back. And hey, you might as well look real good while you find the perfect gifts for your loved ones.

05. Beyond your money & receipt holder, you’ll also need a secure and bigger than normal wallet to hold on to gift cards, gift receipts and coupons. This snakeskin zip wallet has enough glamour to it that you can take it out shopping and then out for a drink after.

06. Quite possibly the most important item on the list, you are gonna need something cute to tote around your caffeine while you peruse the shops. This to-go tumbler from Starbucks caught my eye with its lovely copper glint – who says you can’t have practicality and beauty rolled into one?

Check out The CORE Shopping Blog for more posts!

All gifts found at The CORE.

01. Wrapping Papers, Papyrus, $8.95-$9.95 / 02. Ugly Sweaters Christmas Card, Indigo, $13.00 / 03. Money Receiptables Folder, Indigo, $15.99 / 04. Red Leather Tote, GAP, $125 / 05. Piper Wallet, Club Monaco, $98.50 / 06. Starbucks Anniversary Tumbler, $14.95

It’s a Wonderful Life

Posted by kait / December 29, 2010

We had a truly beautiful Christmas this year. It was Byron and I’s first Christmas as a married couple and it was so special. We got incredibly spoiled by my parents and brother! They gave us the most special and amazing gifts….we couldn’t believe our eyes. My brother-in-law Blair joined us for Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve which was really special. It was so great having him over! My Mom’s holiday design is impeccable and so was her amazing cooking. Check out the photos below for all of the wonderful things she did over the 2.5 days we were there! xoxo

My Mom makes the most incredible table settings. I love her magical sparkly centrepiece.