Simple Gifts

Some of the sweetest gifts are not those that are elaborate, expensive, or extravagant--rather, they are thoughtful, personal, and customized to the likes of the person who receives it.

This time of year, when holiday shopping is going full steam, why not try something different? Perhaps something handmade, like a scarf or a hat, if you have knitting skills. Or as I love doing,  something homemade. Think baked, yummy, deliciousness. Oh yeah. Whatever it is, just keep the receiver of the gift in mind, and cater to his or her tastes and delights.

Here are a few gifts I gave recently that came directly from my kitchen.

Homemade pumpkin bread. I simply wrapped in wax paper, made a kraft paper sash, and tied with festive red and white twine.

A simple tag with the receiver's name in calligraphy gives it a personal, elegant touch. 

Here's another gift created with the receiver in mind. This particular guy works for a motorcycle racing team and loves sweets, so I put some of his favorite desserts (oatmeal raisin cookies and caramel brownies) in a galvanized tub (to keep it masculine). A bottle of milk with a straw completes the sweet collection, along with a simple personalized tag with his name in calligraphy.

A handwritten tag can take a gift from nice to delightful, from personal to customized.

If you'd like a customized gift tag to coordinate with some of your holiday gifts, email us at
info@2heartsb1.com

Get Ready to Be Pampered...

Hello lovely readers!

Can you believe it's already November? Time sure flies, and here at 2 Hearts B 1 we are busy gearing up for the holidays, as well as for an event we are so excited for...

Pamper Me Fabulous!

Check out our post here to find out more information on all the exciting things it has to offer, as well as the fabulous goods that 2 Hearts B 1 will be debuting. 

Make sure to get your tickets soon!

Friends of 2 Hearts B 1 have access to discounted tickets as well!

Just go to www.pampermefabulous.com and enter the promo code "FRIENDS" to receive 15% off your ticket order. 

When you purchase a ticket, you also receive access to specials at The Spa at Terranea; see here for a list of specials available for Pamper Me Fabulous attendees.

Also, for those of you who are interested in turning your trip to Terranea into a mini getaway, you can receive 25% off prevailing rates when you stay between November 11th and November 15th. Just enter the promo code "PAMPER" at their website or through this link.

Can't wait to show you what we've been planning!

Hope to see you there!

Think Pink!

Even though we are towards the end of "Breast Cancer Awareness Month", I am still fully involved with my commitment for the CURE throughout the year. The more awareness, research, education and prevention, the closer we come to saving more lives. 

According to the research 1 out of every 8 women will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer. We need to change that statistic! Unfortunately, we have all been associated in some way with someone that is battling Breast Cancer or has lost their battle to it. No one is alone in this FIGHT. Make it a habit to do a monthly self-examination, we know that early detection can make all the difference in diagnosing and treatment.

For more information on how to get more actively involved in the fight, here is the link to the Pink Ribbon International website, click here.

Many companies are committed to raising awareness and funds for breast cancer research. This month Paper Source is offering the Xyron Pink Ribbon for 40% off the original price  You'll want to make everything sticky after seeing this: It's a little adhesive machine that celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness with an adorable pink ribbon shape! 50 cents from your purchase goes directly to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Give to a cause and turn everything you own into a permanent or repositionable sticker (up to 1.5" wide): punches, photos, ribbon, die cuts, and more. Comes with 20 feet of permanent acid-free adhesive - that's a lot of stickers!

2 Hearts B 1 Designs.....shows off pink! Celebrating our femininity!  

 Save the Date....

and baby announcement! 

We look forward to hearing what you love that is pink! Share your favorite pink item!

Halloween Countdown

Happy Tuesday everyone!

As we countdown the days 'til Halloween, we've been rounding up some Halloween ideas that are sure to make your week spooktacular, whether you're throwing a haunting Halloween bash, taking the kids trick-or-treating, or simply staying cozy at home, handing out candy by the light of carved pumpkins.

First off, a trip down memory lane. Remember the spellbinding work we did for the ABC television show back in 2009?

Jillian created some magical parchment pieces that would be the perfect addition to any Halloween soiree.

And any Halloween haunt would not be complete without some tantalizing desserts.

I am loving this candy corn cheesecake mousse and these cupcakes in a jar (both by Glorious Treats)...

Wouldn't these cupcakes in a jar look even more fabulous with some custom cupcake toppers?

Like the ones we made for cake pops created by Sweet E's Bake Shop:

Don't forget we also create custom dessert table signage (see the "Trick or Treat" sign and the "For Your Eyes Only" sign in the image above) and party favor tags. Contact us to help you create your perfect dessert table.

For other perfectly spellbinding ideas, see our Halloween inspiration board on Pinterest.

Have a Happy Halloween!

Welcome Fall

As I am writing this, the sun is shining and it's a beautiful 80 degrees.

While we might not be experiencing true fall weather yet here in Southern California, I certainly am getting inspired by the fall decor and yummy recipes I am seeing in stores, magazines, and in the blog world.

Check out our fall inspiration board on Pinterest to see what we're loving this time of year.

New to Pinterest? It's awesome!

We love how it's a digital way to gather our ideas and inspirations for different projects, or just for things we like. It's like making a virtual collage.

Request an invite to start pinning and creating your own inspiration boards.

Happy Fall!

Once Upon a Time...

What do you get when you mix storybooks, adorable baby clothes, good friends, and a sweet mom-to-be? A happily-ever-after baby shower, that is!

We were honored to provide some of the event details for a baby shower for my good friends, Alli and Matt.

It was a storybook themed shower planned by Alli's lovely and creative stepmom, Suzan.

The colors were light blue and chocolate, and everything from the table linens, to the favors, to the lanterns hanging in the trees coordinated beautifully. She thought of every little detail, and the guests had a wonderful time. You did a beautiful job Suzan!

The shower was held outdoors, so a cute "Once Upon a Time" sign greeted guests as they arrived.

Pretty chocolate and blue linens graced the tables. Suzan printed a variety of children's book covers and strung them with clothespins throughout the yard...what an adorable touch!

As you rounded the next corner, guests came to a table holding the Wishing Tree.

The Wishing Tree is like a modified guest book; instead of signing a book, guests write a note of advice or well-wishes for the parents-to-be. The cards can then be compiled into an album or book for the parents to look at and remember later.

We created the cards for the Wishing Tree, as well as the sign showing guests what to do.

 

The sign reads, "Write a note of well wishes for the parents-to-be, and hang it on the Wishing Tree."

We created the signage for the appetizers, which included caprese skewers, chips and guacamole, fresh fruit salsa with cinnamon chips, and veggies with Ranch.

 

 

The desserts sweetly reflected the blue and chocolate theme as well.
Here is the gorgeous cake, whose design is based on two of the mom-to-be's favorite childhood books, The Little Prince and Guess How Much I Love You.

The candy bar was filled with blue and chocolate candies, and we created the dessert tags to coordinate.

This storybook shower was a perfect way to welcome the new "Little Prince" into the world!

Congratulations Alli and Matt!
Thank you for letting us be a part of your special day!

Be the Ghostess with the Mostess.

If you are planning a ghoulish Halloween bash or you are attending one as a scary guest, why not spook up the treats table with some frightful Halloween expressions that send your friends into a screaming laughter.

These are the festive cupcake toppers and table cards I created for Sweet E's Bake Shop.

It is always fun to create with all ages in mind. These treats add charm and fun to a 

Haunted Halloween!
Let us help you fright your night with a trick or treat dessert table!

{Event} Pamper Me Fabulous at Terranea Resort

Hello everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful three day weekend! We certainly did; we celebrated a birthday (more on that to come later) and had a little bit of time to rest and gear up for the busy week ahead. We have so many projects in process right now, and we can't wait to share more of them with you. First up, an exciting announcement...

We will be participating in this year's Pamper Me Fabulous event, at the beautiful Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes on November 13th!

A day with the girls...dessert...champagne...shopping...the latest in health, fashion, and beauty...what could be better? There are three different "domains" so to speak to the event: the Expert Corner, the Fitness Area, and the Bazaar Area. Here's a description of them from the hosts of Pamper Me Fabulous themselves:

So round up your best girlfriend, or even your mom or sister, and take a day to learn about the latest health and beauty tips, taste some delectable desserts, and do a little "retail therapy" in the Bazaar area.

2 Hearts B 1 will be a vendor in the Bazaar area, and we are so excited to be showcasing a line of custom personalized stationery that we are creating especially for this event! You will get to see and touch physical samples of the stationery at the show, and pick and choose the different components (color, paper, font, style). We will take your customized order and ship it to you free of charge. We will show you a sneak peek of the stationery on the blog before the event.

Since the holiday season is just around the corner (can you believe it?), we thought this would be a perfectly thoughtful, personalized gift idea for many different people in your life. The personalized stationery would make a fabulous gift for your best friend, mom, sister, aunt, niece, coworker...the list goes on! Who wouldn't like a personalized note card to use for all those thank you notes you'll be writing for your lovely Christmas gifts? Or Hanukkah gifts?

Plus, to top off the day, you'll get an awesome gift bag full of lots of goodies! Here's a sample from past years' gift bags....

So come out on November 13th to enjoy all the different activities and experiences Pamper Me Fabulous has to offer, and come say hello to us! We'd love to see you!

For ticket information, go here.

See you there!

Sexy Chic Stationery

Just had a request for some personalized stationery for a gift to some newlyweds. We fell in love with how these turned out. We used a Japanese silk screen paper of gold circles on a black background with white dots as a liner with a Italian cream stock of paper and envelopes

 This makes a one-of-a-kind gift for the happy couple to use for those very special thank you's to those very important people.

 A nice mixture of masculine and feminine for a couple's stationery.