gift | Nestlie B

April 7, 2021 3 Mins Read

The Caboodle Case Birthday Gift

Crafts

For my niece Noelle’s second birthday, I wanted to give her a stylish box to hold her hair accessories. The idea came to me when I noticed that she didn’t have a special place to keep all of her barrettes and bows for her hair. Once I locked onto the idea, I was able to run with it and make it happen with the help of my mother.

My Thought Process

Now, I know you can store hair accessories in any plain old box, but I wanted the one that I gave Noelle to be pretty as well as functional. A keepsake so to speak. Something she would cherish for a few years. Therefore, I started searching things like cute feminine tool boxes or make-up storage kits. There were a variety of options to choose from, but I needed to make sure I chose something that was fit for a little girl to handle.

The Search Was On

After searching for an hour, I finally landed on the old school Caboodle case. As soon as I looked at it, I knew it would be a perfect storage box for Noelle. It was cute, colorful, easy to carry, and easy to open. It also had an auto-open tray with a flip-lid and mirror, storage on the bottom, and a secure latch. The only thing I needed to do was was pick a color and purchase the case.

Road Trip

Instead of buying it online, I chose to find a store nearby that sold the Caboodle. Fortunately, the Ulta near our house sold it in their store (Oh Happy Day). So, the next day, my mother and I quickly hopped in the car and drove to Ulta. I was delighted to see the Caboodle case there in a variety of colors. I chose the teal and lavender option for Noelle’s gift. It didn’t cost no more than $20. So, I was well within our budget with money to spare.

Our next two stops were the dollar store and a different beauty supply store. We chose not to buy accessories at Ulta because we needed to purchase additional components to put in the case at an affordable price. Thankfully, we were able to find some adorable hair items and sunglasses at both stores to add to her new Caboodle case.

When we returned home we removed all of the items from their bags and started placing them into the case. It was truly exciting to see it all come together. Everything fit inside the case wonderfully.

The Result

After the Caboodle was assembled, we placed the entire case inside of the clear decorative gift bag that we purchased at Target and tied it with fancy ribbons. We couldn’t wait to present it to Noelle on her birthday the next day.

The day of Noelle’s birthday celebration, we presented her with our gift and she absolutely loved it. Even though she was only two, she knew exactly what it was and immediately starting looking at all of her new hair items. Plus, I think she was tickled pink that she had her own hair box that she didn’t have to share with her older sister.

I’m so happy that I came up with this cool gift idea. It was a great purchase and I know my niece still uses and cherishes it till this very day.

Tell me your thoughts on the Caboodle case birthday gift in the comments below.

February 17, 2021 2 Mins Read

Hair Love Drawing for Black History Month

Crafts

In honor of Galentine’s Day and Black History month, I decided to draw the little girl depicted in the short film Hair Love as a gift for my nieces. I was originally inspired by a lovely drawing done by the doodle artist Diane Bleck on Instagram. The moment I saw her picture, I knew I had to recreate it for Noelle and Ayla.

What Is Hair Love?

The short film Hair Love, written by Matthew A. Cherry, is a sweet story of how a father attempts to style his daughter’s hair for the first time. Initially, he struggles to style her hair and is at a lost. Then, he watches a video and successfully molds it into a beautiful style. It’s a lovely bonding moment between the father/daughter duo.

This short black film won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film on February 9, 2020. A first for an animation directed and produced by two African Americans.

How I Created My Drawing?

To make my version of Diane’s original drawing, I had to dust off some of my art supplies that had been sitting in storage for a while. I chose to draw it on sketch paper with a no. 2 pencil, outline it with a fine tipped pen, and fill it in with colored pencils.

I also attempted to make my drawing different from the original by giving each child different facial expressions, skin tones, and clothing. Additionally, I added a variety of hair tools to fill out the extra spaces on the paper.

The Final Result

I think the final result was absolutely adorable. Even though I am an amateur artist, I feel my drawing does a good job of representing the essence and spirit of this wonderful film.

My nieces and their mother were thrilled to receive it in the mail along with the other Galentine’s Day gifts. They were so impressed that they actually framed it in order to place it on the art gallery wall in their office area.

The Look On Her Face Is Priceless

Noelle holding the framed Hair Love drawing

I’m thrilled that I was able to create another piece of artwork that represents my nieces and is unique. Hopefully, they will cherish it for many years to come.

December 4, 2016 4 Mins Read

THE MAN CAN-GIFT IDEA

Gifts

Each year I pride myself on the fact that I’m able to come up with something new and different to present to a family member. Christmas 2015 was no exception. The Man Can idea came about because I was searching for a unique gift to give to my baby brother Kahlil for Christmas. I did not want to disappoint my brother this year by giving him a generic gift. So I searched high and low for gift ideas specifically geared towards men. In my search, I stumbled upon quite a few websites that had uncommon gifts for both men and women. When the Man Can idea popped up on my screen, I knew it was the one I wanted to create for Kahlil.

I loved the Man Can idea immediately. I even found a few websites where I could purchase one as a gift. However, I really wanted to personalize it for my brother and his tastes. So I decided to scour the internet to find variations of the Man Can gift. Many of the sites offered the same items from cologne to soap. Even though the cans looked really nice, I wasn’t sure if my brother would like the smell of the items that were placed in the can.

So after spending a lot of time researching the idea, I decided to create my own version of the Man Can. The idea seemed simple enough. I just needed to purchase a paint can and place some thoughtful items inside. I know my brother pretty well, so this wouldn’t be a hard gift to create. Easy peasy.

First, I ventured out to the hardware store to purchase a paint can. Places like Home Depot and Lowes have an entire paint section where you can find a paint can to fulfill your needs. I also made sure I bought a paint can opener to tape to the top for my brother to use when he opened his gift.

Next, I had to figure out what to put inside of the can. I decided to visit Bath and Body Works in order to purchase a few quality products that were made for men. After smelling what seemed like hundreds of scents, I settled on body spray, cologne, body wash, shaving cream, hand cream, and hand sanitizer. To round off the gift, I added dude wipes and a bottle of deodorant geared towards a man’s private area.

After gathering all of the components, I had to put everything together. I designed my own labels for the front and back of the can. I based the label on the design I saw for the original idea on the Plumb Island Soap Company website. I made sure I put manly descriptions of each item on the back and a cool logo on the front. It took me awhile to get the size and color just right, but in the end, it was worth it. I carefully added all of the items to the can. It wasn’t easy because I had quite a few items to place in a small container, but somehow I made it work. Finally, I topped it off with a bow.

When I presented the gift to my brother, he was completely surprised. He loved it. Every item that I chose for the gift was perfect. I’m glad that I decided to personalize the can versus purchasing one that was pre-made. It made it special and customized just for him. After coming up with such a cool gift, I don’t know what I’m going to create next year to top it.

Check out the list below for links and information on how to create your own Man Can.

MAN CAN GIFT ITEMS

Paint Can and opener
Bath and Body Works Items – Noir For Men body spray, Elixir Black cologne, C.O. Bigelow shave cream, hand cream, and antibacterial gel
Fresh Balls tube (hygiene for the groin area) – Amazon
Dude Wipes (for use after toilet paper) – Amazon

ORIGINAL IDEAS

July 30, 2016 4 Mins Read

Housewarming Gift Idea

Gifts

Last summer, I had the pleasure of visiting my friend Marguerite at her new home in Pennsylvania. As soon as I decided to take the trip, the wheels started turning in my head. I wanted to give her a nice housewarming gift that would easily fit into her decor. However, there was a MAJOR PROBLEM. Marguerite had been in her home for a little over two years and had fully furnished and decorated her house. It quickly became obvious that it was going to be a difficult task coming up with something unique to give her that she didn’t already have, but I was definitely up for the challenge.

As usual, I immediately turned to Pinterest for inspiration. Of course, Pinterest had a plethora of ideas to choose from. There were laundry baskets filled with household supplies, colanders filled with food and recipes, and large glass jars filled with a variety of items. The list of ideas went on and on. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed as usual. It was hard zoning in on the perfect one to give to my oldest friend.

Fortunately, Marguerite and I had chatted throughout the course of her home renovation and decorating process. She had even sent me a few pictures of various rooms in her home throughout the process. So I was armed with a little background knowledge that helped guide me in my selection process. Since I knew her color scheme and that she purchased some items from Pottery Barn, I had an idea of what gift would fit comfortably in her home.

After a lot of thought and many clicks on a variety of pins, I settled on the lantern filled with small household items as a gift. I thought that this was the best option because I figured she didn’t have a lantern in her house. It’s not necessarily an item people think of buying when they are decorating their home. Plus, the items that I could place inside of the lantern could be unique as I wanted them to be.

Now armed with a gift idea, I could finally visit the store to purchase everything I needed to create the gift. I decided to visit my local Marshalls to purchase the items on my list because their home section is always loaded with cute and affordable products.

The first item that I needed to find was a lantern. Since I knew that her home decor consisted of earth tones and calming colors, I figured that a wooden lantern would be the best choice. Fortunately, Marshalls had just what I needed. I was able to find a lantern that was the perfect height and design for my gift idea.

Once I picked out the lantern, everything else fell into place. I worked very hard to find things that she probably wouldn’t have as part of her decor. I picked out things like unique spices, fun party straws and napkins, and a lovely large scented candle (see the full list of items below). I also made sure that I added the items to the lantern as I strolled through the store in order to ensure that everything would fit nicely inside. Once the lantern was filled to capacity, I knew that my shopping was done.

Upon returning to my apartment, I carefully arranged everything inside of the lantern and placed a nice pre-made bow on top as decoration. I was very proud of my gift idea. I had yet again created something unique, fun, and useful all in one. I couldn’t wait to give it to Marguerite during my visit.

I presented Marguerite with her gift after I arrived and settled in from my drive. She loved it. Everything fit nicely into her decor. The only item that wasn’t new was the spice. I tried to choose something exotic thinking that she probably didn’t have it as a part of her kitchen arsenal, but I was wrong. I should have known that my friend who is a great cook and has her own cooking website already had the spices in her cabinet. Oh well, now she has extra for her tasty recipes.

GIFT ITEM LIST

Lantern
Tea Towel
Party straws and matching napkins
Colorful vintage glass votives (tea candle holders)
Large pillar candle
Air freshener
Exotic spices

June 8, 2014 3 Mins Read

Baby Shower Gifts: Boy Edition

Gifts

Yesterday, I attended my friend Tracie’s baby shower and had a delightful time. Tracie and her husband Chuck are expecting a precious baby boy in July. Knowing the gender of the baby ahead of time made my gift buying decisions a whole lot easier. As usual, her shower gave me another opportunity to flex my creativity muscles and make the perfect gifts for she and her husband. Of course, as soon as I received the invitation I immediately started searching on Pinterest to find some awesome ideas to use as gifts.

The first gift I created was the “Boys Night In” six pack. I saw the image on Pinterest and thought it would be a fun idea for her husband. The gift was pretty simple to make. It only required a six pack of beer, three baby bottles, three additional bottle nipples, and baby socks. I used blue wrapping paper to cover the box and hide the original beer logo. I also added a pre-made confetti bow for an added splash of color and whimsy. Then, I created and printed out the “Boys Night In” sign and taped it to the front of the box. Finally, I topped the beer bottles with the bottle nipples, removed three of the beer bottles and added the baby bottles (they were stuffed with baby socks and a tiny baby skull caps). Chuck and the party guests got a big kick out of the gift. It definitely was a gift that many will remember.

The second gift I made for Chuck was the “Hospital Survival Kit”. It’s actually a smaller version of the one I made for my brother over a year ago. I bought a small travel bag that is used for toiletries to hold all of the items in the kit. The bag included shaving cream, soap, toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash, lotion, gum, hand sanitizer, granola bars, and Red Bull. Many of the female guests at the party thought that the kit was an excellent idea because many of their husbands forgot to bring those things to the hospital when they went in for delivery.

The final gift that I created was the “Baby Bath in a Jar”. I bought a large clear glass cookie jar and filled it with all of the items necessary to give a baby a bath. The jar included baby bath, baby powder, baby shampoo, baby lotion, Q-tips, thermometer, washcloths, baby wipes, nail clippers, nose aspirator, and Desitin. I carefully placed each item into the jar with tissue paper, covered it with the lid and added a pre-made confetti bow. I think the gift turned out pretty well and the jar can be used again to store other items in the future.

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR EACH GIFT

Boys Night In – Six pack of beer, 3 baby bottles, 3 wide bottom baby bottle nipples, socks, baby hats, wrapping paper, and a bow

Hospital Survival Kit -Shaving cream, soap, toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash, lotion, gum, hand sanitizer, granola bars, and Red Bull

Baby Bath In a Jar -Baby bath, baby powder, baby shampoo, baby lotion, Q-tips, thermometer, washcloths, baby wipes, nail clippers, nose aspirator, Desitin, tissue paper, and a bow

March 16, 2013 1 Min Read

Bridal Shower Gift Update

Gifts

A few weeks ago I received an early morning text from my friend Marguerite about her cat’s new found love affair with her bridal shower gift. It would appear that Ralston is quite enamored with the monogrammed hand basket that was intended for shopping. The stuffing inside the basket is comfy napping material and the basket itself seems to be a great place to play and chill. Apparently, this bridal shower gift is something the entire family can enjoy. Even the family pet. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Who knew? I’m glad everyone in her household can find joy in that gift. LOL!

Thanks for sharing this with me Marguerite. It made my day.

Photos Courtesy of Marguerite Daniels Anderson

February 18, 2013 2 Mins Read

Baby Shower Gift Bag (For the Expecting Father)

Gifts

A few months ago, my brother and his wife had a baby shower for their new bundle of joy. Of course, I thought it would be a great opportunity to make a gift I saw on Pinterest. The gift was a bag for the expecting father who is usually ignored in the festivities. It was called a Daddy Hospital Survival Kit from Jens Own World blog. I thought it was an awesome idea and it also gave me a chance to flex my creative muscles and use yet another idea that I had discovered on Pinterest. Besides, when would I get another chance to make something like this for a guy.

Anyway, after reviewing the ideas from the original website, I started putting together my own version of the gift bag. First, instead of using a paper gift bag, I decided to use a gym bag. I figured he would get more use out of the bag once the delivery was over. Plus, the gym bag was sturdier and able to hold more gifts. Second, I gathered a lot of items that I thought would be useful to a guy at the hospital during delivery. I even asked a few of my male friends their opinions about their experiences and what they would have liked in a bag when they went to the hospital during delivery. Armed with that information, I was able to come up with the following items: a male travel kit (with soap, toothpaste, shaving cream, deodorant, etc…), snacks, a hand held video game, water, Red Bull, gum, lotion, & hand sanitizer. I also included a letter explaining the purpose of each gift in the bag.

Needless to say, my brother and his wife LOVED the gift. Apparently, she had been hounding him to get his bag together for weeks. Therefore, the gift was right on time. So if you ever have to attend a baby shower, try this gift out. The expecting father will be glad that you did.

CONTENTS OF KIT

Deodorant

Soap

Lotion

Toothpaste/Toothbrush

Red Bull

Gum

Hand sanitizer

Shaving cream/razor

Snacks

Water

Hand held video game

Letter explaining the purpose of the bag