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Archive for packaging

make . Teacher Treat Topper [printable]

Well, we procrastinated, and now Teacher Appreciation Week in the Starkville School District is almost over! My kiddos have six wonderful teachers this year who have given them love and patience and interesting activities and great learning opportunities and so much more. Each year, I’m so grateful for the positive environment my children experience each day in their classrooms. I just don’t say it enough.

Tonight was our first night with no activities this week, and I had the fixings for some teacher happies for the children to take tomorrow. We just needed a fun way to package them up. I found a “thank you” watercolor sketch I painted back in December and decided to use it for a quick topper for some treat bags to hold our goodies. Baby Girl (my continual partner in creative crime) helped put everything together, and now we’re set! If you’re in need of some quick Teacher packaging, feel free to download ours! Just print, cut, fold in half and attach to the top of your bag.

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taste . Sweeteeth for my Sweet Tooth

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I bought these for the drawings. I’ll just get that little confession out there right away. I mean, it’s just chocolate bars, right? And I’m a little bit of a packaging nut, so my online purchase wasn’t that much of a stretch.

Holy Wow, was I wrong in the “just chocolate bars” department! I learned about Sweeteeth, the Charleston confectioner shop that made these goodies in an article on Southern chocolatiers in Garden & Gun magazine. Now, I AM a pretty avid chocolate lover, so I decided I would give myself the little assignment of taste-testing all the featured shops in the article (good idea, huh?). The illustrations on the Sweeteeth bars convinced the designer in me that these should be first on my list.

I ordered the Sweeteeth gift pack you saw above from their website, where I learned that chocolatier Johnny Battles prides himself on “hand crafted chocolatey goodness with a twist.” It’s the twist part that makes my “Holy Wow” an understatement. Here’s a glimpse at the chocolate and some of the surprising flavors that will definitely get your mouth watering…

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THE A’CHOCOLYPSE
Dark chocolate, plus candied ginger for a snap and chocolatey popping sugar! Yes, if you’re thinking “pop rocks” you’re right on track, only more sinful. I think this one is actually my favorite combination of flavors and fun in your mouth!

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SEA IS FOR CARAMEL
This one was the first to go — in one sitting, which is saying a lot considering how very decadent the whole package is. It’s dark chocolate filled with Sweeteeth caramel and dusted with sea salt. Great sweet + salty gooey-ness — and kind of rich!

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PB&C
“Two great tastes that taste great together” gets a jolt in this version, where the “C” equals chipotle peppers. Yes, you read that right. It’s such an unexpected flavor blended with the peanut butter, and gives the bar a really smokey, savory flavor with just a tiny bit of spicy bite. The perfect pairing with dark chocolate and another touch of sea salt.

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CINNAPSIS
This bar is almost like a whole dessert. It pairs dark milk chocolate with dried cinnamon apples and candied pecans. Sweet, fruity flavor layered with that velvety milk chocolate taste make for a very nice chewy + crunchy combination.

I have to say that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my Sweeteeth sample pack, and it’s gotten me through several harried days of design deadlines — another true test of great chocolate. If I’m ever in the Charleston area, I hope I can stop in to see what other wonderful-ness they might come up with for the day to day chocolate cravings!

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WHAT MADE IT INSPIRING:
The packaging — Seriously. I think I saw a duckbill platypus in there!
The service — My online ordering experience went off without a hitch. Since then, I’ve also ordered a gift pack shipped for a friend’s birthday, and the Sweeteeth team happily fulfilled my request for gift wrapping and a personal message attached. Nice!
The creativity — It’s great to see how the creative spirit comes in all sorts of flavors down South.
The chocolate — Do I need to repeat my Holy Wow?!

Thanks for sharing a taste with me!

inspired by . Ribbon Sculptures

I came across these amazing tiny ribbon sculptures from Ribbonesia. They are really a gift in themselves. Enjoy and be inspired!

2012 Calendar Obsession No. 2

Well, I’ve just cracked open my next 2012 calendar purchase! I’m already using the first calendar option because Miss Little Things Studio was kind enough to include December 2011 in her offering. Yay! Now, I can’t wait until January to hang this option from Heather Lins studio. It’s a monthly celebration of typography printed in thin wood veneer. Half the fun for me is the packaging and the process of opening my little gift to me. Enjoy the journey with me!

A Peek at 2012

I love calendars. Specifically, I love monthly calendars that give me some form of inspiration. I just enjoy the process of flipping the page to see what new image or color or font or message is in store on the first of each month. So, I tend to gather several calendar versions around my office, displaying them where I can see and enjoy. Sometimes they are hanging calendars. Sometimes they are other variations I prop or clip at will. For me, it’s like a little collection of rotating art. Just as I’m becoming blind to the familiarity of each piece, it’s time to change.

A couple of weeks ago, I made my first calendar purchase for 2012, and I thought I’d share a peek. A peek is all I took, myself, because the packaging was so lovely. I couldn’t bear to untie it until January 1. So I hung it up under one of the 2011 versions to enjoy the anticipation This illustrated hanging calendar was created by Little Things Studio right here in my home state of Mississippi. I love her whimsical patterns and vibrant colors. Mine came wrapped in orange cord with a bonus bookmark!

Marking time is one of our great privileges in life. To imagine a life with no opportunity to remember the past or dream about the future would be one without inspiration. To attempt a life without numbering our days would be one risking too much regret. Today is a great day to sow the seeds for 2012–in life and work. Let’s get started!

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