What you see is what you get... or is it?

I had a client call the other day looking for a creative way to say Happy Birthday to her 99 year old grandfather. Pop-Pop is a life-long chocoholic - does this give us yet another reason to eat more chocolate lol? I didn't want to just put the candy in a basket or other container, it needed to be a very special gift and that just screamed boring. I remembered the candy cake rage of a couple of seasons ago and Googled around a bit. What I saw was ok but still didn't fit the bill. The majority of the cakes were miniature bars glued to styrofoam. Hot glue and chocolate bars... really? The purchase prices were obviously mostly labor fees as there really wasn't much actual candy in any of the creations I saw. Frustrated I went to my happy place... yup, that would be Starbucks! As I enjoyed my ice cold tea and mulled the situation over I had an idea!



Our cake is comprised of 26 full size candy bars and a heaping helping of miniatures. I wanted the cake to look clean and upscale so I created a container from the large bars and filled the inside with the remaining goodies. I have several more ideas for spin-off "cakes" so keep and eye to the blog for more fun!

The faster I go the behinder I get....

So many plans, so little time! Now that the VP of Garden Gate Gifts is back in school, I am renewing my vow to keep up with my poor blog. New Year's is the typical time to make resolutions and start fresh. I have never been typical so I don't know why it surprises me to find that Back to School time is my best time for renewal! Upon further thought it seems an even better time to make decisions and "resolution". The year is half (ok, ok - MOSTLY) over and you can take a look at what's working and what isn't. Are your plans carrying you closer to your goal or farther away? Are you happy with what is going on in your world or does it make you a stressed out, chocolate craving monster (oops, personalizing again!)? If you make changes now you still have the opportunity to reach whatever your goal is for this year.

Grab a cuppa whatever you like, barricade yourself in your Happy Place and take a good, honest look around. If you see a need for a change in your path, MAKE IT! The need for change does not equal a failure of The Plan. The failure would be NOT to make changes if The Plan isn't working for you! Change is good - so they say lol!

So Happy Mid-Year Assessment Day, I sincerely hope all your plans lead you to what is most important in your life!!

May is for Moms!

It seems like this year has been on constant fast forward! It's already May and Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 10! Forbes has an interesting article investigating what mothers really crave on their special day.

We can't all be with Mom on her day but the next best thing might be a fabulous gift designed especially for your amazing Mother had delivered to her door just in time to open and enjoy. Whether Mom is a gardener, craves a spa day, loves chocolate or would love to have Dad cook her dinner we have you covered! Simply give us a call and tell us about your mom now so we can deliver the perfect gift!

Administrative Professionals Day® is April 22!

National Secretaries Week, as it was originally called, was created in 1952. The goal of the holiday was to encourage more people to consider careers in the secretarial/administrative support field.

The first official "National Secretaries Week" was held June 1-7 in 1952, with Wednesday, June 4, 1952 designated National Secretaries Day. The observance date of National Secretaries Week was moved to the last full week of April in 1955. The name was changed to Professional Secretaries Week in 1981, and became Administrative Professionals Week in 2000 to encompass the expanding responsibilities and wide-ranging job titles of administrative support staff.

In the years since its inception, Administrative Professionals Week has become one of the largest workplace celebrations. In the United States, the day is often celebrated by giving one's assistant such gifts as flowers, candy, trinkets, lunch at a restaurant, or time off.

We can create amazing gifts for your support team! Give us a call now and let us take gifting off your "To Do" List!!

April is a month full of gifts...

April is my favorite month! Next week I get to celebrate the birthdays of three of the most important people in my life; my father, my husband and my son. Jack's birthday is, not surprisingly, my very favorite day of the year - better even than Christmas! His birth was an amazing blessing after many years of failed attempts and detours. This year especially, his birthday is a beautiful reminder for me that gifts do not always come when expected or wrapped in pretty paper and tied with a bow.

With the tough times we have all been experiencing it is easy to take our gifts for granted. Take the time to look more closely for the gifts that surround us every day!

Getting personal....

Gifting is a hugely personal act in most cases. We already meet that need to a large extent with our personalized gift baskets but I have been looking for way to take that a step or two further and have come up with some great ideas!! So keep your eyes tuned here as I am hoping to have some pictures up soon!!!

Everything is coming up GREEN ...

I wonder if it is just a coincidence that St. Patrick's Day and the first day of Spring fall within the same week? Spring is set officially to arrive March 20th. I am sure for those of you in the north this is especially fabulous news! Out with the old cold and in with fresh air, fresh ideas, fresh hope! Why not plan something fun to celebrate? Plant something, have a picnic just get outside. If it's still cold where you are have an indoor picnic and plant some seeds in a container. You can transplant them once it warms up!


Spring and all that comes with it is Nature's gift to us. Our most popular gifts this time of year are gardening baskets. Most often they are created from garden toolboxes or bags, sometimes we even use hoses! We fill them up with useful tools, seeds, flower pots, garden stakes and goodies depending on the recipients likes and dislikes. Think about sending some Spring up North, we'd be happy to help!