Yesterday, I gave all my coworkers little treat bags full of homemade peppermint bark.  They’re very special to me so what better way to thank them for always being so amazing than with layers of peppermint-infused chocolate??  Nothing is better, I tell you, nothing.

I tied off the bags with baker’s twine and added these DIY gift tags.  Aren’t they the most precious things?  I’ve been using these tags for EVERYTHING this holiday season.  I even affixed one to Kyle’s hot chocolate the other night just to tell him that it was “homemade with love” so he better appreciate it.

Back to the peppermint bark!  It’s super easy to make and so much more special when it’s homemade.  PS don’t let anyone tell you that making it yourself is cheaper than buying a box of it at William’s Sonoma.  Chocolate chips are expensive, yo!  But making it at home is more fun and thoughtful.  I promise.

Peppermint Bark

1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
1 bag of white chocolate chips (again used Ghirardelli)
1/2 tsp peppermint extract, divided
About 25 candy canes, crushed into pieces
A little canola oil (if needed)

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave in intervals of 30 seconds at 50% power.  Make sure you stir the chocolate after every interval until it’s fully melted and smooth.  Stir in 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract.  Pour the chocolate onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet (it will not fill the entire sheet FYI) and spread evenly.  Sprinkle half of the crushed candy canes over the chocolate.  Refrigerate and let it harden for about 10-20 minutes.  Melt the white chocolate in the same fashion.  You may need to add a bit of canola oil because white chocolate seems to be a thicker consistency.  Stir in 1/4 tsp peppermint extract.  Pour the white chocolate directly over the semi-sweet chocolate and spread even.  Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes and refrigerate until completely hardened.  To serve, break into small pieces.

Add an adorable tag and give it to all your favorite people.

Happy Monday!  This is probably one of my longest posts in history, but with good reason!  I wanted to share a few of my favorite items on Etsy that would be the perfect gift this holiday season.  And I did them all separate so you can click on the photo and it sends you straight to their Etsy.  Easy peasy!  I think it’s super important to support small businesses and what better way to do so than during the holidays?  Here are some of my favorites:

These bags are made by my friend Christy – aren’t they so cute?  They’re the perfect size to throw in a purse.  I would toss in a few lip balms and a hand lotion and give it to one of my best friends for Christmas.  See the full Etsy here.

It’s hard to pick a favorite piece from A Merry Mishap because they’re all so unique and fun, but I think I would give this ring as a gift because I’ve never seen anything like it.  So neat!  See the full Etsy here.

Ann-Marie is one of my best friends and she is so dang talented!  I love her newly added digital prints and would gift them to anyone needing a little color and inspiration in their life.  See the full Etsy here.

I would totally buy this camera strap for myself.  What?  I’m not allowed to by myself a Christmas present here and there??  It would be awesome for my new camera.  See the full Etsy here.

These striped linen dish towels are the perfect addition to any kitchen.  Wrap it around a wooden spoon and BAM you have a great gift.  See the full Etsy here.

I love these bright graphic prints and actually have one hanging on my gallery wall!  I would gift one of these to an art lover, of course.  See the full Etsy here.

The coral in this beaded bracelet is so gorgeous!  Ayofemi makes the most beautiful, delicate bracelets and I would give any one of them to my jewelry-loving cousin. See the full Etsy here.

Everyone needs a chunky cowl in their life but I think it would be such a good gift for my friend that moved to the east coast.  She will actually need it!  See the full Etsy here.

*You can see my last two gift guides here and here.

Whether I’m shopping for my mother, my significant other, or my best friend, sometimes I like to be extra nice and buy them a real special gift.  One that hurts my wallet a little bit but who cares because I know they’ll really love it.  Like a new sound system that I overheard them talking about.  Or a colorful pillow that matches their personality exactly.  Or a beautiful, hand-knit scarf that supports the economy of Ethiopian weavers.  Or even a Wacom writing tablet to make blogging a little more fun.  Oh, and that knot ring?  That’s what I want…just in case any boyfriends of 6+ years are wondering what to get me.  Just kidding!  No but seriously.  Anyway, these big ticket items are special in their own way and would be the perfect gifts for all of my favorite people.

Gabriela Artigas Knot Ring // Madewell Chambray shirt // Sonos Sound System

Lem Lem Scarf // Jonathan Adler Pillow // Wacom Tablet

Vintage Glass Bottles // Fujifilm Instax

We finally put up a tiny Christmas tree in my apartment and now everything is feeling real festive and jolly.  The tree was also a nice reminder that I need to start buying gifts for all my peeps and STAT!  The holidays are fast approaching, my friends.  I’m starting off my round of gift guides with items that are low in price but still pack a punch.   So here are a few small things that I would buy for all the various people in my life:

Yvette Van Boven’s “Hand Made” cookbook // baker’s twine
Winter Stripe iPhone case // Rifle Paper Co. coasters
Kate Spade Sparkler coin purse // Bellocq Earl Grey tea
Bauble Bar giraffe print bangle // Orla Kiely storage jar
Makr Carry Goods key chain

When I first saw this DIY Scandinavian inspired star garland on Creature Comforts blog, I knew this type of craft was right up my alley.  First, it didn’t seem too difficult (I’m a level C crafter) and second, I’m slightly obsessed with baker’s twine and have been searching for the perfect excuse to buy some (purchased here).

Along my crafting journey, I found about half of the garland’s supplies at Michael’s (clay and star cookie-cutter) and half at JoAnn (gold sequins…ok I bought a couple bags of gold sequins, don’t judge), and started DIYing!  I seriously love festive crafternoons, don’t you?

If you’re dying to make a last-minute holiday craft, here are the very simple steps to make this garland (for a more complete tutorial, go to Creature Comforts):

1. Roll out the clay evenly on a flat surface and use the star-shaped cutter to cut out the stars.  Once all of the stars are cut out, make sure to let the clay dry for at least 10 hours or until it’s hard.

2. Admire all of the pretty components while you wait for the hot glue gun to heat up.

3. With the hot glue gun, dab a small circle of glue in the center of the star, adhering the baker’s twine to it.

4. Place a gold sequin over the glue and baker’s twine so that it all fastens securely to the star.

5. Once you’ve made the garland to your desired length, let the glue dry.  Technically, you should let it sit for at least 30 minutes but if you’re anything like me, you’ll stare at the drying glue for all of 45 seconds and immediately hang it on the tree.

6. And that’s exactly what I did!  I hung it on my blurry tree.  Oh wait, you thought it was my photo that was blurry?  No, we have a blurry tree.

7. Or use it as gift wrap.  Personally, this is my favorite part of the DIY garland.  It makes all of your gifts that much more personal and special.  For example, that’s a piece of cardboard above but since it’s adorned with a homemade touch, it’s easily transformed into the best gift under the Christmas tree.

Finding gifts for men is the hardest undertaking ever.  It doesn’t matter if the gift is for your boyfriend, your lover, (your lover on the side?), your friend, your brother, your pops – MEN ARE DIFFICULT.  So instead of compiling a list of gift ideas for them, I asked my own boyfriend to create a gift guide for me.  What a sweets!

Kyle (my bf) was quite thrilled to make this list, mostly because he was trying to drop me hints of what he wants, but also because he’s very well-versed in man products.  He keeps up-to-date on the blogs, always seems to find neat online shops, and has a better wardrobe than me (sadly).  So here is a list of gift ideas for your man friend, curated by my man friend:

1. Gitman Brothers Vintage Brush Cotton BD Shirt, Roden Gray, $178
2. Oliver Spencer Fine Stripe Scarf, Rooney, $120
3. Wings + Horns Ventile Cotton Down Vest, Roden Gray, $330
4. Handmade Necktie, Is/Was Projects, $100
5. Standard Belt, Tanner Goods, $84
6. Original Briefcase, Filson, $210
7. Horizon Two Wallet, Makr Carry Goods, $84
8. Pendleton Glove with Leather Palm Back, Blackbird Ballad, $50
9. Jose Parla Slider Case for iPhone 4, Arkitip, $49.95
10. “Tabac” Natural Aftershave Splash, Portland General Store, $12

The accessories in this gift guide are perfect for your fashion-loving girlfriend/friend/lover/bff/sister who find inspiration in the quirky, colorful, and always effortlessly chic style of street style blogs*.  An unexpected accessory with a pop of color is exactly what they need!  Trust me, they will be totally smitten with a cozy, bright snood or …gasp… Proenza Schouler on the cheap???  BRB…fainting.

1. Red Snood Dogg, Wool and the Gang,$95
2. Field Notes Notebooks, Letterbox Co., $5
3. Nail Polish in Fiesty, Topshop, £5
4. Mochila Wallet, Proenza Schouler, $145
5. Double Finger Metal Feather Ring, ASOS, $13.79
6. The Sartorialist by Scott Schuman, Amazon, $16.50
7. Elizabeth and James Fairfax Sunglasses, Madison, $185
8. Griffith Suede Bag, Madewell, $168
9. Thomas Paul Luddite 13″ Laptop Sleeve, Velocity, $56

*See some of my favorite street style bloggies here.

Now that it’s officially December, I need to start buying gifts for my loved ones and STAT.  I’ve made the executive decision (yes, I make executive decisions for me’self) to divide it up by category as opposed to price range because a.) I majored in Journalism and English and I don’t understand numbers; b.) I have no patience to search for items >$100 (or is it <$100? – I can’t remember which way the crocodile mouth goes); and c.) I’m a bit dyslexic and afraid I’d find an item that costs $52 and place it in the “under $25″ category and then WordPress would delete my blog for life.

So…onto foodie gifts.  To me, a foodie is not only someone who loves food but also celebrates everything relating to food, whether it be finding joy in an amazing cookbook or having a mild obsession with colorful teapots.  So with that in mind, I tried to pick out gifts that any foodie would be sure to eat up this holiday season.

1. Heirloom Recipe Card Box, Rifle Paper Co., $125
2. Dorie Greenspan’s “Around My French Table,” Amazon, $24
3. Teak Measuring Spoons, Merchant no. 4, $20
4. Fluted Flower Baking Cups, Bake It Pretty, $4.75
5. Afternoon Fete Teapot, Anthropologie, $48
6. Loomed Bowl, Anthropologie, $14 each
7. 12 Assorted French Macarons, Sparkleskitchen Etsy, $16.50
8. Eat and Spoon Tea Towel Set, Studiopatro, $42 for 2
9. Bonnie Blue 10″ Cake Stand, Fishs Eddy, $64.95