Wanna know what's REALLY scary?

When you decide to make a homemade costume and realize you have everything you need to be her:

The tats:

The skinny jeans and heels:

The booze and smokes:
The hair (oh, the hair!):

And of course the eyes:

Happy Halloween!

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We interrupt the regularly scheduled unpacking with something fun!

I should have been unpacking, but my new kitchen was beckoning! It is INFINITELY more fun to cook in a fabulous kitchen -- I hereby encourage everyone to get one!

Justification for the packing distraction: I have AMAZING new neighbors and co-workers and needed to do something nice.

So I made mini apple pies (by "I" I mean "Chris and I and mostly Chris"). Aren't they adorable?
Download the cute packaging here. (I edited the box to exclude the Valentine's Day sentiment. If you need a copy, e-mail me at heywickstroms@gmail.com).

P.S. I'm BACK!
And with a vengeance.
Watch out world!

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Ba-da-buh-buh-buh, I'm LOOOOOVIN' IT!

The Wickstroms have embarked on a new misadventure: home ownership! We now own this beauty: Now it's time to decorate (uh oh!)!

P.S. Who knew buying a pair of these would be sooooo exciting?
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BIRTHDAY WEEK TIP: Dazzle them with the wrap!

As promised, I'm sharing my best birthday ideas this week.
But, first, enter the BIG BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY by clicking on the cupcake:

Anyway, I come from a long line of gift wrappers -- my grandma, my mom, my aunt. All of these talented ladies taught me the power of a well-wrapped gift.

But sometimes killer wrapping is more than a frilly luxury -- it's critical. After all, the last thing a lame gift needs is lame wrapping.

Even if the gift is the opposite of lame, the wrapping can make it shine. Check out my birthday gift to the ever-amazing Rachel:

(Hot husband, Kara, Birthday Girl and Wendy -- fabulous and very missed D.C. bffs!)

I presented Rachel with her very own "Man-catching Birthday Beauty Kit." Fun idea, yes. But more fun after I got creative with the gift labels:
The gift was actually pretty boring -- body wash, shampoo, conditioner, lip gloss, nail polish, a Coldstone Creamery gift card, but the "Man-catching" labels made it a lot more fun. And after all, that's what counts, right?

What do you do to make your gifts extra special?

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DIY: Cheap and chic Easter baskets

We hosted Chris' dad, stepmom and little sister Krissy for Easter dinner. The food was delicious (try this trifle recipe -- you won't be disappointed), but the baskets were my favorite part.

In about an hour-and-a-half, I transformed three cheap generic baskets into festive Easter baskets. You could easily adapt this project to add a personal touch to a house-warming or birthday gift.

Here's what you'll need:

- Natural wood baskets (I bought mine at the Container Store for $4/each)
- Hot glue gun/glue sticks
- Festive tissue paper
- Krinkly paper shreds
- Ribbon (I had all of the ribbon on hand. Did you know there is a ribbon outlet in Hagerstown, MD? It is SO worth the drive!)
- Miscellaneous notions and trim
- Inexpensive treats, goodies and small gifts

Use hot glue to trim the edges of your basket in ribbon (mine covered some ugly visible staples). Wrap the handle in ribbon (I dotted a bead of glue under each twist to make sure it stayed in place). Line basket with a piece of tissue paper and fill with shredded paper. Add bows or additional adornments and treats. Voila!

I used vintage pink velvet ribbon and a fun yarn bow for Chris' 11-year-old sister's basket. Her basket was filled with Target jewelry (what girl doesn't love this?), Jonas Brothers socks, a giant Lip Smackers watermelon lip gloss and candy.

The basket Chris and I shared turned out the cutest! I love the peacock green grosgrain ribbon with the vintage pink velvet ribbon. And I love the wrapped handle. (Oh, and I especially loved the Mad Men Season 1 BluRay, the Doris Day/Rock Hudson three-movie anthology and the Australian licorice!)

Tip: For making the bows around the top rim of the basket look perfect: fold your ribbon into a loop, making sure the ends are longer than the loops. Pinch in the middle. Use another piece of ribbon to wrap the center of the loop, making a bow. Glue together.

I kept my Easter table simple and bright -- using my everyday red dishes, mustard yellow napkins and my grandmother's vintage flower tablecloth.

A vase full of ranunculus was the perfect final touch. These are the cheeriest flowers! I totally want to take a cue from Chelsea (the mastermind of {frolic!} and use them to decorate a vibrant summer table.
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