Well, with Christmas only two weeks away, (What!!) I am scrambling to finish my shopping. I always vow to have all of my shopping done at this point but....you know the rest. Life happens. Oh well.  


So anyway, I was brainstorming recently about gift-giving and ways to be more creative this holiday season. Since creativity is key in my line of work, this makes sense! 


Also, the gifts have to be affordable and be something that they can actually use, right? 


So what did I come up with? Customized gift baskets!  


Begin by thinking of activities that the person, couple, or even the whole family, like to do. Do they eat out a lot or don't get to eat out very often? Restaurant and maybe movie gift cards could fill out a small gift basket nicely.  

Other ideas are gifts certificates for car detailing, phone app stores, house cleaning services, wardrobe consulting services (wink!), the list goes on and on.

The baskets themselves are relatively inexpensive and can be found in super centers and even thrift stores. I personally like the idea of thrift store shopping because I can find unique items  for next to nothing. I have found quite a few baskets over the years that I use in my home to work double-duty-- to decorate with and to hold things! (Be sure to check the bottom of those baskets for holes before purchasing, though.) 

What else can go into gift baskets? I will cover this more on a later post, but some some ideas are cell phone covers, purse organizers, mini travel kits.... I think that you got the idea. 

Well, by now, your gift-giving creative juices are probably overflowing!  At the very least, I hope that you are no longer "stumped" on those last-minute gift ideas. Happy Gifting! 

Wow! My inaugural post! 

I'm so excited to share with everyone and to hopefully get wonderful feedback about my passion-- fashion and style! 

Why "practical" style? Well, first, a quick word on everyone's personal style. Yes-- everyone has a unique personal style! One of my mottos is, IT'S OK TO BE YOU. Whatever your style is, (classic, romantic, dramatic, etc.)-- that is actually what's practical for you. So find out what your unique style is and then embrace it! In a nutshell, don't try to be something that you are not.

Secondly, don't be afraid to get rid of things that don't support your style! We have all been there (myself included!) We've stood in our closets or a room in our homes thinking, "Why do I even have this? It's not ME!" Too many things that we don't even like or use can be chaotic. And uncontrolled chaos has never been practical for me!

Thirdly, make sure that what you do buy, supports your budget! This may seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised. Style outside your budget is definitely not practical. 

I will cover more about these (and more fun topics) in later posts. But I DO want to leave you with this tidbit: Just because style is practical, doesn't mean that it has to be boring! 


So what's your take on practical style?