GCDSpa Celebrations

Begonia Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Knowing What To Do

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:47:00 +0000

Last week, right in the middle of a conversation, I realized I had no idea what to do. I was catching up with a friend whose last six months have been tough. Her kids have been struggling and she was clearly upset about their decisions. I wanted to help, but I wasn't sure what to say or do.

So I did the usual stuff (hugs) and said the usual stuff ("I'm sorry"). I still felt really helpless. I tried to be helpful and comforting, but I don't think anything I said was either of those things. Instead, I chattered on, later kicking myself for saying anything at all. Has that ever happened to you?

When I saw this George Carlin quote today, I nodded (and laughed) because this is just how it felt. Life is full of hard times, and most people go through them without sharing the details. When you do hear about it, you realize just how clueless we are about others' struggles—and how hard it is to figure out what to do, even through our own hard times.

Another of my favorite George Carlin quotes is, "Always do whatever's next." But what happens when you don't know what's next? What do you do when you don't know what to do?

Guest Post at New Approaches

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:30:00 +0000

New Approaches

I am excited today to be participating in the New Perspectives Series at the New Approaches blog.

Hannah Curtis, LCSW is the therapist behind New Approaches, a practice offering counseling to individuals and families in Portland, Maine.

Hannah says of her work, "As a therapist, I'm really just a creative, collaborative generator of possible choices....It's not because I'm all awesomely creative that I come up with ideas. It's really because I talk with a lot of people in a deep and meaningful way all day. I've started to hear about lots of ways of doing things." This New Perspectives Series came from Hannah's "desire to collect new viewpoints."

My contribution is called "Practice Makes...Better" and I welcome you to read it over at the New Approaches blog. (While you're there, check out some of the other posts in this series, or some of Hannah's recent posts about the value of emotions.)

You can follow New Approaches on Facebook, too.

A Good Day

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 02:30:00 +0000

At a certain point this afternoon, I stopped what I was doing and realized, "This is a good day."

When a day seems particularly good, I always want to figure it out. What am I doing today that I wasn't doing yesterday? Did I get good news? Was it a fun day at work? Did I have a great conversation? Or maybe a great piece of chocolate? What is different?

Sometimes it really is about painting. (Or drawing, or writing.) I agree that every day is a good day when you paint...and by "paint" I mean "do something creative."

Other days it's about people: catching up with a friend, spending time with my kids and husband. I'm mostly an introvert, but I still enjoy a good chat.

And still other days it's about feeling motivated and getting things done. I finished planting my garden this weekend, which made yesterday a pretty good day, too.

Today was good for a lot of reasons. I had fun making some party favors. My business was featured on my favorite handmade wedding site. My parents are celebrating their 45th anniversary. I talked with a couple of really nice people. All of those things helped to make it a good day, but I also realized that the items on my "to-do" list—the things I was supposed to do today—were also things I wanted to do.

Did you have a good day? What happens to make you say, "Today is a good day."?

Something Blue Cocktail

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 03:56:00 +0000

"Something old, something new, something borrowed..."

That "Something Blue" that comes next is a wine cocktail featuring a pale blue French liqueur called Hpnotiq. Made with vodka, Cognac, and a blend of tropical fruit flavors, Hpnotiq is the beautiful blue beginning of this cocktail, which is layered with white wine and ginger ale in a champagne flute.

I think Something Blue is a perfect wedding day signature cocktail, or a super addition to a Something Blue bridal shower. (Of course our Something Blue lip balm flavor makes fun bridal shower favors, too.)

Something Blue Cocktail

2 ounces Hpnotiq Liqueur
2 ounces white wine
1 ounce ginger ale

Build ingredients in a champagne flute and serve.

What's your favorite bridal shower cocktail?

Something Blue Bridal Shower Favors

Feminism at the Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:12:00 +0000

I made a discovery at the local museum earlier this year. Touring the galleries with my family, it struck me again how many different ways there are to see the world. A portrait by John Singer Sargent is utterly different from the portraits of Picasso. Even working with the same palette and medium, the variations are infinite and fascinating.

Dahlov Ipcar "Blue Savanna" Oil on Canvas, 1978

Curious to see how the experiences of women might be reflected in their work, I started looking for the female artists. I found paintings by Mary Cassatt, Dahlov Ipcar and her mother, Marguerite Zorach, and several other women. But the remaining work, the vast majority of the art I was enjoying, was created by men.

Shortly before this visit I'd finished reading How To Be a Woman, a book by Caitlin Moran that "jump-start(s) a new conversation about feminism." I suppose I can blame Moran for inspiring this quest at the museum, but the result of my search is what compels me to recommend her book, with the entreaty to read it—all of it—whether you relate to it personally or not.

How To Be a Woman isn't a book about one right way to be a woman; as Moran says, "…the purpose of feminism isn't to make a particular type of woman." How To Be a Woman is one woman's point of view about women's issues, drawn partly from her own experiences as a woman. It is hilarious, irreverent, and sometimes shocking, but always honest. Most of all, it is a brave act in a world where we too often judge and criticize each other for making different choices and having different values from our own. I was left wondering if fear of this judgment and criticism (from men AND women) sometimes silences us, and if so, what do we need in order to change this?

A few months later we visited the same art museum to celebrate my daughter's inclusion in a student exhibit, and as we sat in an auditorium with other parents and students (of both genders) from all over the state, it seemed obvious what we, as women, need.

We need more paintings.

We need more of our art, more stories, and more brave acts, and not just because we are underrepresented in the galleries of the world. Without seeing the views of many women, realizing the variety of experiences, opinions, and stories, it is easy to lump us together—and then expect us all to be alike. When we're not using our voices, it is easier to believe we don't have voices at all—and then a simple thing to make decisions for us without even inviting us to participate.

Moran concludes that feminism is "Simply the belief that women should be as free as men, however nuts, dim, deluded, badly dressed, fat, receding, lazy, and smug they might be." Free to write (paint, dance, design) their own lives and stories, to share their experiences and unique points of view.

For me it is also that I can tell both of my kids, my son AND daughter, that they can be anything they want to be—and mean it.

Moisturizers Sale Ends Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Wed, 29 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Our First Annual Moisturizing Event ends on Friday. Have you stocked up on hand (or foot) cream, body lotion, or facial products? How about lotion favors...they're 15% off, too!

Simply use coupon code SUNNYFUN15 at checkout. Thank you for your interest!

Baby Shower Food Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Tue, 28 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

"Baby" Foods for a Baby Shower

Sometimes even before you choose a baby shower theme, you'll have ideas for the menu! Finger foods are great for any shower, including baby showers. Food ideas can include sandwiches, salads, and decorated cookies. For a twist—and easy munching—why not choose “baby” foods? (And I don't mean pureed carrots and applesauce!)

Imagine baby carrots, grape tomatoes, baby lettuces, and snow peas gracing a veggie platter, along with tiny tea sandwiches and bite-sized cookies.

Baby Pizzas & Calzones

Think sandwiches are too blah? How about gourmet pizzas? To save time, buy pre-made pizza dough in the deli section of your local grocery, roll and cut into tiny circles to make mini pizza crusts. For less mess, place toppings in the center and fold and tuck edges of dough, then bake mini calzones.

If you'd like to make your own pizza dough, here's my favorite quick pizza dough recipe.

Sweet Baby Shower Foods

Whether you’re a fan of those marshmallow jell-o ambrosia salads or not, we can all agree that a shower menu has to include sweet baby shower foods. Ideas for desserts can be inspired by your theme: tiny cookies can be made in lots of shapes and decorated in coordinating colors.

For a Noah’s ark baby shower theme, raid the kids’ play dough box. Any self-respecting child has a box full of tiny animal-shaped dough cutters that can be washed well and used to make pairs of colorful animal cookies. (Look for duck and bunny cutters, too, for Rubber Duck or Peter Rabbit baby showers.)

If you want to make your own cookie dough, here's my favorite cutout cookie recipe along with a tutorial for making Ladybug Cookies. Purchasing prepared cookie dough will help to save time; mini cookie cutters in fun baby shower shapes like baby bottles and onesies are available from Foose Cookie Cutters. Browse their other mini cutters for more ideas that could match your own baby shower theme.

To order custom cookies made by the experts, here's a list of cookiers who ship in the U.S. Check them out or follow them on Facebook to find the perfect baby shower cookies for your shower!

More Baby Shower Recipes

• Fruit kebabs with a mojito yogurt dip are delish.
• Spanikopita is another great alternative to sandwiches.
• Guacamole and baba ghanoush are yummy party dips. Serve with corn chips or baked pitas

What are your favorite Baby Shower foods?

Bacon Lip Balm for Father's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Sun, 26 May 2013 02:00:00 +0000

Is it weird that I'm a vegetarian and I made Bacon lip balm? Maybe.

I really wanted to make a flavor for Father's Day, something just for guys, even (especially) guys who don't like lip balm. If bacon is the gateway meat, this is the gateway balm.

When I was a kid I loved bacon with maple syrup, and this balm tastes just like that. The first thing you notice is the scent of maple, then the smokiness of the bacon accompanied by the sweet flavor of sugar and maple. Our testers agreed that it was an unusual flavor, but they were pleasantly surprised. (Hey, even I like it, and I'm a vegetarian!)

Bacon lip balm will be our Flavor of the Month in June, but it's already available for those who want to order for Father's Day (which is June 16). We'll have it in stock through June 30.

I'd love to know what you think. Please leave a comment so everyone can hear what you think of our Bacon Lip Balm!

Lotion is Great for Moisturizing, and Also...

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:30:00 +0000

When you're surrounded by products every day, you're bound to come up with other uses for them. Last fall I wrote about how to use lip balm for more than just...well, lip balm. And last week when I realized I was smoothing down my flyaway hair with lotion, I started thinking of the other ways I use it.

I make lotions and hand creams so of course I have more of it around than most people do. But I know I'm not alone in having a bottle in my purse, next to every sink, on my desk, in the car.... And I'm probably not alone in finding it useful for lots of different jobs. Here are a few:

1. Smoothing the frizzies. My hair always goes bonkers when I'm out somewhere and don't have a wide range of product options. I find that I can apply a small amount of lotion to my hands and then lightly pat down the out-of-control areas. Use this same thought to...

2. Reduce static on clothing. If your skirt is sticking to your tights, simply smooth it with your hands after applying a bit of lotion. It really works!

3. Diluting self-tanner. This is my favorite lately. You know how they tell you to work around your knees and elbows, or you end up with orange spots? Well, I end up with utterly white knees, and that looks weird, too. My solution is to dilute the self-tanner with a bit of my favorite lotion, then apply a thin layer of this to my knees and elbows.

4. Smooth shaving. If you run out of shaving cream, try a little lotion. In fact, skip the shaving cream entirely because lotion works really well for this.

5. Exfoliating. A dab of lotion + a pinch of sugar = simple exfoliant. Rub into skin gently, then rinse off.

6. Condition leather. Sounds crazy, but it really adds shine to shoes or belts.

These are just a few ways that I've used lotion for something other than moisturizing! I've also used a dab to remove eye makeup, put a thick layer on my finger to remove a too-tight ring...the possibilities are endless. How do YOU use lotion?

How Do You Make a Cosmopolitan?

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:30:00 +0000

If you've ever watched Sex and the City and wondered, "What is in a cosmopolitan, anyway?" today's post is for you. That show made this pink sweetini popular. Here's how you can make your own.

Cosmopolitan

2 ounces vodka (some prefer citrus vodka)

1/2 ounce Triple Sec

3/4 ounce cranberry juice

1 ounce fresh lime juice

ice

citrus peel or slice

Pour the vodka, Triple Sec, and juices into a shaker with ice. Shake well, then strain into a martini glass. You may "flame" an orange peel across the top of the cocktail, or simply garnish with a slice or peel of orange or lime.

Did you know? Cosmopolitan is our most popular Sweetini flavor and fragrance for bachelorette favors.

Lilac Moisturizers Are Back

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:10:00 +0000

Last year we discontinued several of our less popular fragrances so we could add a few new ones. Almost immediately I had requests for one of the dropped fragrances. (Some of you really like Lilac!) I promised to bring it back, and what better time than when it's fresh in the garden?

Lotion Favors

Lilac is now available in lotions and hand creams, as well as lotion favors and refills. If you love this springtime scent, now is the time to stock up! It's only here for a limited time.

(BONUS: We'll be sending out an email with this coupon as part of our First Annual Moisturizing Event, but you get it first! Order by May 31 and use the code SUNNYFUN15 to get 15% off all moisturizers. This applies to all fragrances, too, not just Lilac.)

Are you a fan of Lilac fragrance?

Choosing to Be Kind

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:30:00 +0000

"Choose being kind over being right, and you'll be right every time."

I agree with this quote by Richard Carlson, author of "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and It's All Small Stuff." But sometimes I find myself wondering exactly how to be kind. What does it mean to be kind? And even if I know it's right, is there a "right" way to be kind?

There are lots of other words associated with kindness: if you're kind, you're likely friendly, caring, and generous. You may also sympathize with others, and people might describe you as warm-hearted and considerate. Kindness isn't only about "being" a certain way, though; it's about action, doing kind acts. That "doing" is where I always struggle. What if someone wants me to do something that I don't want to do? Is it kindness to do it anyway, if it will help them?

When the Dalai Lama says, "My religion is kindness," I imagine that he sees kindness as compassion for all living things—including himself. I always figured that kindness (to him) might include forgiving everyone for not always being their perfect selves—even yourself. It seems to me that kindness, and being kind, also applies to yourself. So if I help someone else, it's kindness if I'm doing it out of compassion and caring for that person. But if I'm doing it because I think I'm supposed to, or out of a sense of guilt, maybe it isn't really kind? Maybe my dragging feet and that sense of dread are telling me something!

Perhaps the choice to be kind is really about choosing something to give or do willingly and happily to make someone else feel good? Maybe kindness should make everyone feel better?

What do you think?

Wishing and Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Wed, 15 May 2013 03:42:00 +0000

I always plan to post something every Monday that will help to motivate me (and maybe others) all week. Lately I haven't been as good about keeping to that schedule. (Hello, Tuesday!)

I usually find a quote that I like and put it with a picture I like. Sometimes that's all I share. I almost always want to say something more about the quote, to elaborate and explain why I chose it. I always wish that I had posted something more than just the photo. But some weeks it just doesn't happen.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, "It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan," and maybe that's true. But I find that it takes more energy than wishing and planning to actually execute that plan.

Are you turning wishes into plans this week? What plans are you working on?

Wednesday in the Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:32:00 +0000

Striving To Do Better

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Tue, 07 May 2013 03:45:00 +0000

Ice Cream Tacos for Cinco de Mayo

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Sun, 05 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000

We have been celebrating Cinco de Mayo for the past 13 years—not to commemorate the Battle of Puebla, but because it's my son's birthday! We've always considered it a great excuse to eat guacamole or tacos (other people might say margaritas!). This year we decided to try a new birthday dessert that seems to fit the day: ice cream tacos.

You can find many recipes for ice cream tacos, with most of the taco "shells" made from flour tortillas or wonton wrappers. I wondered if my pizzelle iron would make a decent shell, so I made up a batch of chocolate pizzelli (recipe from King Arthur Flour). If you don't have a pizzelle maker, a waffle iron also works, but makes a much thicker cookie. (My waffle iron makes thin, heart-shaped waffles that didn't want to bend into a taco shell; you may have greater success if your waffle iron makes a different shape.)

I won't go into any great detail about how to make the pizzelli; the recipe at the link above gives great instructions, and you'll need to follow the pizzelle iron manufacturer's directions to choose the correct cook time for the cookies.

We found that about 45 seconds was perfect to cook these chocolate pizzelli. Remove them quickly and while they're still warm, bend them over a folded paper plate, as shown above. Allow them to cool while you cook the next batch. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container until you're ready to serve them.

Before you can put together your tacos, you need to prepare your toppings. My son had very specific requests for candies (gummy worms and Twizzlers) but just about any sundae topping would be yummy. Chopped cherries, bananas, blueberries, coconut, nuts, sprinkles, m&m's, chocolate chips, crushed oreos, hot fudge sauce. Once they're ready, now comes the fun part....

Since the taco shells can be brittle, here's an easy way to get the ice cream in without breaking them. Scoop some ice cream into a ziploc bag and seal it tight, then squish it in your hands for a few seconds to warm it a little. Cut off one of the bottom corners of the bag and squeeze out the ice cream into the bottom of the taco shell. Cover the ice cream with your choice of toppings, working quickly before the ice cream melts! Then enjoy.

Do you celebrate Cinco de Mayo? What are your favorite recipes to prepare today?

¡Viva el Cinco de Mayo!

Mother's Day Gifts Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:30:00 +0000

Just a few days left to order for Mother's Day (please order by May 3 so I can get your items shipped in time!). If you aren't on our mailing list, you may not know that we have a new fragrance, and that we have two special gift sets on sale through May 3.

Paradise is a blend of frangipani and muguet blossoms with ozone top notes and a base of musk and amber. Joanne in Maine tried the fragrance and says, "It is very light and tropical...reminds me of the beach. Not in a typical coconut tanning lotion smell. This actually reminds me of the sun, sand, ocean, and surrounding tropical flowers along the shore! Great "getaway" scent that will remind you of memories from vacation!"

Paradise Moisturizers Gift Set

Moisturizers Gift Sets contain hand cream, lotion, and lip balm. This is by far our most popular gift set! Take $2 off the Paradise Moisturizers set through May 3.

Paradise Bath and Body Gift Set

This special Bath and Body gift set includes sugar scrub, mineral soak (with "diamonds and pearls" salts), and body lotion, gift wrapped in white tub with wooden scoop. Save $2 on this set through May 3.

Did you know that we'll include a handwritten gift tag with any gift set? You can specify your message at checkout.

If Mom prefers fruity or floral scents, we have lots more to choose from. Apricot Freesia and Lavender are two popular choices! Please let me know if you have any questions at all.

Flavor of the Month May 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Thu, 02 May 2013 03:30:00 +0000

Once again it's time to announce the Flavor of the Month. This year's flavors have included Margarita and Spring Fever (just a few left if you haven't tried one).

This month I was planning to offer Bubblegum as the month's flavor. I was taking the pictures, preparing the post, had everything ready and then I paused. "I wonder if Circus Peanut lip balm would be good?"

I know, maybe crazy. So I asked on our Facebook page: Which do you like better? And about 85% of the responses said Circus Peanut! So here we go.

If you love sweet banana marshmallow with loads of Vitamin Orange (okay, maybe less than the real circus peanuts), make sure you pick up a Circus Peanut balm this month. Or place an order for anything else in May and we'll include a Flavor of the Month for you to try.

If you want to help choose new flavors, Facebook is the place to be. I'd love to see you! I post sneak peeks and sales there occasionally, but most of the posts are cakes and cookies, flowers, party planning stuff, sites I like...it's like a party. Hope to see you there!

Finding the Path

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 23:00:00 +0000

I'm a sucker for advice blogs, business gurus' posts, recipe and DIY sites. Sometimes I just want someone to tell me what to do, in 5 easy steps, in little bite-sized pieces, so I don't have to spend any time figuring things out for myself. The popularity of these sites and blogs suggests that I'm not alone.

We're all so busy, it's a big help to let someone else do some of the work, to let them "stray" to find the direct path for us. I appreciate this and try to share things here to save time for other people, too.

For the occasional recipe, DIY, or business tip, that's great. But the path to this particular moment hasn't really been simple or direct. For me, the pieces often seemed too big to handle, the steps numerous and winding. Figuring things out, finding my path, required a lot of straying. There wasn't a handy guide. If there had been, I would have been first in line to buy it. And I would have taken someone else's path to some other place.

Today I'm feeling grateful for all the help that saves me time every day. But I'm also glad for the straying that got me here.

Success

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:33:00 +0000

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." - Henry David Thoreau

It isn't always clear to me what success is. Some days success feels like getting everyone to all of their appointments on time, or getting that last order in the mail before I have to make dinner. Some days success is making it to the bottom of my "to-do" list, or the bottom of the laundry pile, or the bottom of my inbox. (Or getting to the bottom of that mystery smell coming from the refrigerator!) Last weekend success was having a good, long visit with grandparents I hadn't seen for months.

Let's face it, success means different things to different people, and even in the same person it's different things on different days. Which means that success isn't really a goal on its own. Yet how many of us go from day to day seeking it? Think of all the yearbook goals our classmates made, to grow up and "be successful." I wonder what that meant to them then? I wonder if they feel successful?

What do you think success means? What makes you feel successful?

Diva Spa Party Favors

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:30:00 +0000

Diva Spa Party Favors | Lip Balm with Personalized Labels (label 328)

I read recently that leopard print is a neutral. I'm beginning to agree that animal prints can go with almost anything, but leopard goes particularly well with hot pink. Don't you agree?

This is what I've been working on this week. I don't like to pick favorites (oh, who am I kidding?), but these were really fun party favors to put together. Not just a spa, a Diva Spa. I just love that.

Do you wear animal prints? What's your favorite?

Diva Spa Favors | Personalized Lotions and Lip Balms (tag 1363, label 328)

What is Tulle? (And why do we use tulle to make our bows?)

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 18:30:00 +0000

If you've seen a kid's tutu or you've read about recent fashion trends, you probably already know what tulle is.

But if you're puzzled when I ask you to choose your "tulle color"—or when I talk about our tulle bows—please keep reading to learn more about this popular material.

1. What is tulle?
Dictionary.com says that tulle is "a thin, fine, machine-made net of acetate, nylon, rayon, or silk." Tulle looks like very fine netting, sheer and see-through. The tulle we use is made of nylon.

2. How do you say it?
No fancy pronunciation necessary...it sounds just like "tool."

3. Where does tulle come from?
The name "tulle" comes from Tulle, France, which was a center for lace-making way back in the 1600s. The machine-made tulle (or bobbinet tulle) that we're familiar with today came from the UK, where John Heathcoat created a machine in the early 1800s to duplicate the complicated handwork of lace makers. Tulle is still made in the UK using similar machines, but it's also made in China and North America. Most of our tulle colors are made in the U.S.

4. Who uses tulle?
Tulle netting is used in weddings for dresses and veils as well as decorations. It's also used in the ballet, for theater costumes, and more recently for whimsical and adorable children's clothing. It has practical, non-decorative applications too: it can be used in the garden or yard to protect plants (or yourself) from insects.

5. Why do you use tulle instead of other ribbons?
We use tulle for lots of reasons: it's reasonably priced, comes in lots of colors, can be tied in several ways to make substantial, dramatic bows, and holds its shape without wrinkling (which is important for shipping).

Tulle is a perfect fit for wedding-related events, since it's so frequently used for wedding fashion and decor. Its use in ballet and theater costumes makes it ideal for certain kids' party favors, too (think perfectly girly favors that look like tutus or princess dresses!).

6. How many tulle colors do you have?

We currently offer 45 colors, including two metallic shimmer shades.

7. Do you offer anything other than tulle?

Yes! If tulle is not appropriate for your favor design or event, we do have several other types of ribbons or trimmings, including satin, gingham, polka dot grosgrain, and organza. Talk with us if you'd like a custom embellishment.

Ballet Party favors with tulle bows

Read more about tulle here:
swisstulle UK Ltd
All about bobbinet
Trendy tulle in bridal fashions

Thirsty Thursday: Frosty Lemon

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:30:00 +0000

It's no secret that I love citrus flavors (and fragrances) and lemon is probably my favorite. I like having an excuse to make Lemonade lip balms (often for a "lemons to lemonade" divorce party) or Lemon Drop sugar scrubs (bachelorette parties, mostly) or Limoncello lip balms (Italian theme, anyone?).

If you enjoy lemon, you'll love today's cocktail recipe. Frosty Lemon is tart and sweet, just what you'd expect. If life hands you lemons, make a cocktail.

Frosty Lemon Cocktail

3 ounces citrus vodka

1 ounce limoncello

3 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp superfine sugar

lemon peel

Add first four ingredients to shaker with ice. Shake well, then strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with peel and serve.

What's your favorite way to enjoy lemons?

Find more cocktail recipes online at about.com and Drinksmixer.com.

Kids' Spa Party Favors

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Caswell) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:00:00 +0000

Kids' Spa Party Favors | Sugar Scrub and Lip Balm